FREEWAY LEAGUE : Buena Park Keeps Playoff Hopes Alive by Beating Fullerton

Quick, call a doctor. Get a masseuse.

There are going to be five high school football officials today with throbbing shoulders.

As yellow penalty flags swirled like snow, Buena Park managed to sneak away with a 35-13 Freeway League victory Friday night at Fullerton.

Buena Park (3-7, 3-2) finished in a three-way tie for second with La Habra and Sonora. Coin flips today will determine which teams will receive the league’s two remaining automatic playoff bids--league-champion Troy has one bid. The other team will try for an at-large berth.

In an incredible display of a game that surely couldn’t have been football, Buena Park and Fullerton combined for 285 yards in penalties.

Yes. Two-Eighty-Five.

Buena Park finished with 19 penalties for 163 yards--and won easily. Fullerton (3-7, 0-5) had 12 penalties for 122 yards.

“Who knows?” Buena Park Coach Bob Rau said. “I think late in the game things were a little sloppy.”

Sloppy? This was pigs rolling in mud.

Somebody neglected to tell Buena Park that, no, offensive linemen cannot use their hands on defensive linemen. Fullerton, apparently preferring to swallow its penalty yardage in larger chunks, spent the evening collecting personal fouls.

At one point in the fourth quarter, Buena Park was whistled for three consecutive holding calls.

At another point in the fourth quarter, Fullerton was called for two personal fouls on the same play .

But forget the obvious. This one even featured an illegal substitution and a penalty for illegally aiding the runner.

If it was illegal, Buena Park and Fullerton tried it.

Buena Park’s George McDonald ran for two touchdowns and passed for another. The Coyotes, who were awaiting word of other games to see if they make the playoffs, opened a 21-0 halftime lead and then spent the evening watching the officials throw flags.

Things got out of control quickly in the first half as Buena Park knocked Fullerton’s defense silly and handcuffed the Indians’ offense with ease.

David Barrios completed a 92-yard drive with a nifty eight-yard touchdown run with 4:07 left in the first quarter to open the scoring for Buena Park.

For awhile, things stayed even and Fullerton seemed to gain momentum when Buena Park fumbled a pitch on the Fullerton 13.

That drive halted, Fullerton was set to go to work.

And then, two plays later, the Indians botched a handoff and Barrios recovered at the Fullerton 19.

From there, the rout was on. McDonald twisted and turned for 19 yards on the Coyotes’ first play, boosting the lead to 14-0.