PREP FOOTBALL / Saturday Pullout : La Mirada Quarterback Leads Rout of Sunny Hills

The way La Mirada quarterback Mike Palumbo threw the football Friday night, the Sunny Hills defense probably thought he was unstoppable.

Palumbo, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound senior, completed 13 of 21 for 145 yards and two touchdowns as the Matadors beat Sunny Hills, 42-20, at La Mirada High in the season-opener for both teams.

And Palumbo only played the first half.

He strained his shoulder in the second quarter.

La Mirada Coach John Mele said: “One of their big tackles landed on his (left) shoulder.”

Not before Palumbo put some hurt on Sunny Hills.

He threw touchdowns of 27 yards to Wyatt Boatwright in the first quarter and 17 yards to Greg Rudiger late in the first half.

Hugo Corral scored the Matadors’ first touchdown on a two-yard run, after he returned a Sunny Hills punt 39 yards.

The Lancers only score of the first half came on a 56-yard pass from Greg Garand to Jeff Renaud.

Garand completed 13 of 28 passes for 256 yards passing and three touchdowns. Two of his passes were intercepted, one of which was returned 42 yards by Ken Harrington for a touchdown.

Garand’s threw a 94-yard touchdown pass to Renaud and a 16-yard touchdowns to tight end Sean Granillo.

Renaud caught five passes for 185 yards.