Whittier Christian Foils Brethren Bid

Phil Bravo, Whittier Christian High School’s football coach, knew his team didn’t need any fancy offense Friday night against Brethren Christian.

He just turned tailback Rex Pritchard loose.

Pritchard ran for 176 yards in 16 carries and scored five touchdowns as Whittier Christian won its second consecutive Olympic League title with a 43-34 victory over Brethren Christian at Lakewood High School.

Pritchard’s performance overshadowed a strong game by Brethren Christian tailback Frank Brady.

Brady rushed for 145 yards and three touchdowns in 19 carries. He also caught two pases for 68 yards, including a 24-yard pass from Brandon Stott with 3:35 left.

But it was Pritchard who made the difference in the fourth quarter. He scored on runs of 12 and four yards in the final quarter as Whittier Christian (9-0, 4-0) overcame a 20-19 deficit.

Bravo’s assessment of Pritchard’s play: “Rex played a great game. We came out pumped.”

“I’m proud of all our kids,” Bravo said. “No one gave them respect all year. Last year, when we had (running backs) Scott Jordan and Ron Papazian, we got a lot of attention.

“But no one gave us a look this year. All we heard about was the ‘Sweet 17’ (Brethren Christian’s 17 players) and Orange Lutheran.”

The loss left Brethren Christian’s Division IX Playoff hopes in jeopardy with the Warriors (7-2, 2-2) needing a victory by Ontario Christian over Orange Lutheran tonight to qualify.

Pritchard scored three first-half touchdowns on runs of 12, 26 and 10 yards. He had 94 yards rushing in 10 carries as Whittier Christian led, 19-13, at halftime.

Brady, who had 65 yards in eight first-half carries, scored on runs of 11 and five yards.

Brady was a workhorse on Brethren Christian’s opening drive of the second half. He caught a 44-yard pass from Stott and later scored on a four-yard run, giving Brethren Christian a 20-19 lead.

Whittier Christian came back to score two possessions later, driving 70 yards in six plays. A 12-yard touchdown run by Pritchard with 10:08 left in the fourth quarter gave Whittier Christian the lead for good, 27-20.

The Heralds pushed the lead to 35-20 when Carl Martinez scored on a seven-yard run and Ron Rector added a two-point conversion run.