Irvine Stumbles to Victory Over Sunny Hills

The Irvine High School football team stumbled and fumbled its way through Friday’s night game. The Vaqueros moved the ball sporadically--when they managed to hang on to it--and basically took the night off offensively.

It didn’t seem to matter.

Irvine overcame mistake after mistake to defeat Sunny Hills, 10-0, in front of 1,000 at Buena Park High School.

Just one week after they upset Villa Park, the Vaqueros came out flat. They turned the ball over five times, four on fumbles, providing the Lancers with plenty of opportunities.

But the combination of Irvine’s stingy defense and Sunny Hills’ anemic offense got the Vaqueros off the hook time and time again.

“Defense, defense, defense,” Irvine Coach Terry Henigan said.

Sunny Hills (1-2) was in trouble offensively even before the game began when Coach Tim Devaney learned that running back Mike Sullivan would be out two-to-three weeks with a fractured bone in his right hand.

Sullivan totaled 258 yards in the first two games. His absence allowed the Vaquero defense to key on Kenny Overby, Sullivan’s running mate.

Overby, who had 156 yards rushing coming into the game, gained 57 in 18 carries Friday.

That forced the Lancers to rely on their passing game. Quarterback Haikem McKenzie completed only 14 of 31 passes for 117 yards with two interceptions.

The result was the second consecutive shutout for the Lancers, who lost, 7-0, to El Modena last week.

“Not having Mike really hurt us,” Devaney said. “We’re a very young offense and we haven’t had a lot of experience throwing the ball. I think 30 passes is more than we have thrown in the last two years.”

Irvine was not much better.

The Vaqueros (3-0) turned the ball over on their first three possessions, including once on their own 10-yard line. The Lancers got as close as the four, but Matt Young missed on a 21-yard field goal attempt, the first of three misses for him.

Irvine had only 60 total yards and three first downs at halftime.

When the Vaqueros managed to hold onto the ball longer than a few plays, they scored. They put together a 14-play drive late in the third quarter, which ended in a 24-yard field goal by Mark Huffman.

Quarterback Jason Manici completed three of five passes on the drive for 40 yards. He also had an 18-yard run on a fourth-and-one play, which gave the Vaqueros a first down on the nine.

Still, for all that effort, Irvine had only a 3-0 lead.

The Vaquero defense set up the game’s only touchdown. Linebacker Brad Stammer intercepted a McKenzie pass to give Irvine the ball at the Sunny Hills’ 41.

Scott Seal, who had seven carries for 33 yards on the drive, scored on a two-yard run. Seal had 104 yards rushing in 29 carries to lead the Vaquero offense.