SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION VI PLAYOFFS : Rancho Alamitos Advances : Prep football: Byrd gains 105 yards but is injured in 29-6 victory over Azusa.

Rancho Alamitos defeated Azusa, 29-6, Friday night to advance to the second round of the Division VI playoffs. Coach Mark Miller was just happy he had enough players to finish the game.

The Vaqueros (9-1-1) lost no less than six starters to injuries during the game. Starting running back Jeff Byrd, the county’s leading rusher, left the game with 1 minute 40 seconds left to play in the third period with a possible concussion suffered on his three-yard touchdown run.

Byrd’s score, his second of the game, gave Rancho Alamitos a 14-0 lead. Byrd, who had a 33-yard scoring run in the first quarter, finished with 105 yards in 18 carries.

Junior Leon Vickers extended the lead to 22-0 with a three-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, but he was forced to leave with a back injury. Miller moved quarterback Marshall Brown to tailback, and on his first series, Brown broke loose for a 61-yard touchdown run, making the score 29-0 with 8:06 to play.

The Vaqueros, the second seed in the Garden Grove League, will play Woodbridge in the second round next week.

“We were already razor thin on players going into the game. I don’t think anyone was hurt seriously but I am worried about next week,” said Miller. In addition to his backfield problems, Miller was forced to juggle his offensive line when Lia Togia left with a leg injury. Two other linemen did not finish.

Azusa (6-5) the second-seeded team from the Montview League, averted a shutout when Shannon Francis scored on a two-yard run with 1:55 to play.