Sunny Hills Runs Wild Over Esperanza

Sunny Hills High School ran over Esperanza without so much as an “excuse me” on the way to a 20-7 victory in a nonleague game Friday night at Valencia High.

The Lancers gained 336 yards rushing as Esperanza’s burly defense had trouble catching up to a trio of elusive running backs.

Kenny Overby led the onslaught with 150 yards in 15 carries, including a 60-yard run for a touchdown. Mike Sullivan had 107 yards in 12 carries and Brian Pizula added 74 more in 15 carries.

By game’s end, Esperanza Coach Gary Meek had seen enough of the three.

“They’re the best running backs we’ve ever played against,” he said. “They’re better than Santa Ana. They hit you with traps and all that inside stuff.”

Though Sunny Hills did not pass much--only 10 times, all in the first half--the Lancers still managed to confuse the Aztecs. And with a trio of backs, the Lancers had fresh runners at all times.

“The three horses ran well tonight,” said Tim Devaney, Sunny Hills coach. “It was nice to see Kenny Overby have a big game like that.”

Overby scored the game’s first touchdown on the second play of the second quarter. With Esperanza bunched at the line on a third-and-one situation at the Sunny Hills’ 40, Overby burst through the middle and outran the defenders to the end zone.

Esperanza (3-2) came right back with a 56-yard scoring drive. Quarterback Keith McDonald found Reid Pullen wide open in the back of the end zone for a four-yard touchdown pass.

But Sunny Hills (5-0) took the lead for good with two minutes 11 seconds left in the half.

Overby caught a short pass from quarterback Rick Orr, faked defensive back Cory Winch and outsprinted the Aztecs to the end zone.

Pizula added a six-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter for the Lancers’ final score.

Esperanza did not have a good scoring chance in the second half, mainly because its passing game went silent.

“I was very concerned going into the game,” Devaney said. “Esperanza is a very physical football team. I don’t know if we’ll face a team this big again this season. I thought our little bandits did very well.”

McDonald, who completed six of 10 passes for 47 yards in the first half, was just two of 11 for 17 yards in the second half.

“We couldn’t convert a third down and four or five (yards to go),” Meek said. “We didn’t get it done.”