EMPIRE LEAGUE FOOTBALL : Katella Stays With Ground Game in Victory

Larry Anderson, Katella’s football coach, said his team needed to return to its ball-control option offense to be successful against Cypress Thursday night. He was right: The Knights gained 300 yards on the ground and defeated the Centurions, 31-7, in a Empire League game at Western High.

Led by fullback Mark Larsen and quarterback Jaret Wright, Katella (4-4,1-2) dominated. Larsen rushed for 116 yards in 18 carries, and Wright gained 107 in 16 and scored two touchdowns. The Knights averaged nearly six yards per rush.

“We got back to what we do best. Last week (against top-ranked Esperanza), we tried to be cute and pass,” Anderson said. “Our plan tonight was to run, but I didn’t expect us to dominate as early as we did.”

Wright’s only pass completion resulted in a 46-yard touchdown to Pete Siripanupong with 1:31 left in the half.

After limiting Cypress (4-4, 1-2) to three offensive plays in the third quarter, the Knights put the game away with two fourth-quarter scores. Wright’s second rushing touchdown, from five yards out, made it 24-7 on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Alex Alvarez’s one-yard run closed the scoring with 5:09 left.