Bradley’s Quick Strike Ignites Moorpark Win

Freddie Bradley must believe in making a good first impression.

The freshman returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown Saturday in Moorpark College’s opener, much to the amazement of East Los Angeles Coach Al Padilla.

“To start off the game like that is a real shock treatment,” Padilla said.

Bradley made a lasting impression on Padilla by scoring his second touchdown on a 25-yard reception with 32 seconds left in the first quarter. Quarterback Jayson Merrill added three touchdown passes to lift the Raiders to a 31-7 victory at Moorpark.

Bradley jump-started Moorpark’s offense by bursting through the middle on the opening kickoff. Fourteen minutes later, Merrill hit the running back with a scoring pass to give Moorpark a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. All the scoring in the game came in the first half.

“I really like that guy and when he returned that kickoff for a touchdown I liked him a lot more,” Moorpark Coach Jim Bittner said.

Bittner, who is known for his love of the running game, let Merrill pass against the Huskies and with good results: 12 completions in 20 attempts for 201 yards.

“We were really concerned with our offensive line in the first half,” Bittner said. “They did a lot of blitzes and stuff that pretty much forced us to pass, and we did not hesitate to go to the air. I have a lot of confidence in Merrill and we went up top right away.”

With Moorpark leading, 14-0, East L. A. tailback Adan Avina burst through the middle for a 44-yard touchdown run with 14:40 left in the first half.

On the ensuing possession, the Raiders moved 73 yards in six plays to score their third touchdown. Wide receiver Rick Wright took Merrill’s pass 62 yards for a touchdown. Sean Cheevers’ point-after gave Moorpark a 21-7 lead with 10:23 left in the first half.

Moorpark gained 343 yards in total offense. The Huskies (0-2), who gained 554 total yards and rang up 39 points in an opening loss to Pierce last week, picked up 268 yards. Avina accounted for 147 yards in 21 carries.