Game Switched for Fear of Violence : Prep football: Buena Park defeats Anaheim, 28-7, in a rare day game. Starting time changed because of fights and threats of trouble from ‘outside groups.’

The Buena Park football team overcame a day of distractions and won a rescheduled nonleague game against Anaheim, 28-7, on a hot Friday afternoon at Buena Park High School.

The game began 3 1/2 hours earlier than its scheduled 7:30 p.m. start following an agreement between Fullerton and Anaheim Union high school district administrators who feared more violence following two days of tension that included two fights on and near Buena Park’s campus.

There were no incidents as about 150 students, all admitted free, attended the rare afternoon game. Buena Park police, extra security and administrators from both schools were conspicuous on the sidelines and in both grandstands.

“We moved the game to 4 p.m. after we got some information that some outside groups might be coming over tonight,” said Christine Hoffman, Buena Park principal. “We made all necessary arrangements needed for safety precautions.

“We don’t really know much more than that, but we’re not taking any chances. We don’t want to risk the safety of our own students attending their own game.”

Hoffman rescheduled Buena Park’s lunch period, and students were dismissed from classes at 1:30 p.m.

“I was told at 10:30 this morning that the game time was being changed,” said Martin Luczaj, Buena Park’s football coach and athletic director. “Game day was thrown totally out of whack.

“First, I had to make sure the referees could get here at 4. We sent some players home for equipment at lunch and rescheduled our team meal. Fortunately, everything turned out OK. We overcame a lot of distractions.”

Anaheim Athletic Director Dan Miller said he had to reschedule the two district buses that transported the school’s football team, coaches and cheerleaders. Some players went home at lunch time to get their uniforms.

“The only problem we had was getting our equipment man over here from Katella,” Miller said. The Anaheim district laid off four equipment men as part of athletic cutbacks forced by dwindling enrollment.

Miller said the school’s freshman and sophomore football teams also played without incident on Thursday.

Luczaj estimated the school lost between $1,200-$1,500 by rescheduling the game and admitting everyone free. Programs, which usually sell for $2, were also distributed free.

Both teams were sluggish at the outset of Friday’s game before Buena Park (4-1) took control in the second quarter. Quarterback Geno Robles passed for two touchdowns and ran for one in his best game of the season.

Robles completed 15 of 21 passes for 210 yards. He teamed with wide receiver Chris Stone on eight completions for 147 yards, including scoring plays of 31 and 10 yards.

The only touchdown for Anaheim (2-3) came in the first quarter when running back Che Garcia scored on a three-yard run.

“I had no control over the decision to change the game time,” Luczaj said. “We were a little sluggish in the beginning, but I can honestly say the problems in the past two days here haven’t affected our football team.”