Loara Gives Hill the Record

As the moment drew near Thursday night, and a 43-7 victory over El Dorado High School was secure, the Loara football team crowded close to Coach Herb Hill.

His assistants shook his hand as the clock counted down. . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . Career victory No. 191, an Orange County record, was Hill’s and the players swept him to their shoulders and took him to the center of the field at Western High.

The players lingered a moment or two, shaking hands with Hill and offering a few words of congratulations. His wife, Karyn, broke through the crowd and gave him a peck on the check.

Hill breaks the record for victories set by the late Clare VanHoorebeke, who had a 190-49-10 in 23 seasons at Anaheim. Hill, who is retiring at the end of the season, is 191-111-11 in 31 years, 28 at Loara and three at Rancho Alamitos.

Former players from near and far traveled to see Hill break the record. Harvey Winn, a quarterback on the 1966 and ’67 teams, came from his home in Beaverton, Ore., to attend the game.

And Dick Bingham was there, too. Bingham accompanied Hill during pregame Father-Son Night festivities. Bingham played on Hill’s first team at Rancho Alamitos in 1956.

“He was here for my very first victory and he’s here for this one tonight,” Hill said.

After it was over, Hill said he never dreamed he would break VanHoorebeke’s record. “I’ve thought about this for a while,” he would allow. “It’s a nice thing.”

He seemed almost relieved that the fuss was over, and that Loara could get on with the business of the Southern Section playoffs, which begin next week.

“This is done,” Hill said. “We’ve got a couple of days off until the second season starts. I’d like to play for a little while longer.”

Loara finishes regular-season play 8-1-1 overall and 4-1 in Empire League action. El Dorado finishes 0-10, 0-5.

“The important thing was to win this for Coach Hill,” said quarterback Sean Conner, who rushed for 81 yards and one touchdown in eight carries and passed for another touchdown.

“We did the job,” said running back Coy Collins, who rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns in 13 carries.

Loara made sure Hill’s record-breaking victory would be an easy one. The Saxons scored on their first possession and never let up.

Collins, the No. 2 rusher in Orange County, gained 21 yards the first time he carried the ball. He went 19 on his second carry and scored a touchdown.

Later in the first quarter, the Saxons tackled El Dorado punter Joe Richardson in the end zone for a safety. Conner added a 76-yard touchdown run as Loara built a 15-0 first-quarter lead.

A 22-yard touchdown run by fullback David Kang and a 16-yard scoring pass from Conner to wide receiver Greg Ramsey pushed the lead to 29-0 at halftime.

Loara held El Dorado scoreless until Brian Hayes scored on an 11-yard run with 9:08 left in the game.

But by then, Loara had long since put Hill’s name into the record books.