PREP EXTRA / SATURDAY FOOTBALL PULLOUT : Anaheim Beats Orange, Denies Coach Hill a Milestone

Dick Hill is respected, liked and admired by about everybody involved with prep football in these parts, and Anaheim High first-year Coach Allen Carter wants it made clear upfront that he’s among that group.

Done, Coach.

But as for being on the less-desirable end of a milestone, well, Carter admits his charges are like most when it comes to that record-book stuff: Fine, but not against us.

So personal feelings aside, visiting Anaheim had no reservations about beating Orange, 20-15, in a nonleague game Friday night at El Modena High in front of about 2,000, and in the process denying Hill his 200th victory as an Orange County coach.

“Orange did a good job,” Carter said. “They are well-coached and (Hill) is a heck of a coach.

“But I don’t think anyone wants to (be part of a record).”

Orange (3-2) had won three in a row under Hill, who has 199 victories in the county and 211 overall. Already the all-time leader in coaching victories, Hill downplayed the quest for No. 200.

“We wanted to beat a good team. That’s it,” Hill said. “But we gave up too much. You can’t do that with a good team.”

Anaheim (5-0), ranked seventh in a poll of county sportswriters, sealed the victory with 6 minutes 43 seconds remaining in the third quarter on a touchdown run by standout junior tailback Reuben Droughns.

He took a handoff from Herrera, cut to a small seam on the left side and raced untouched for a 35-yard touchdown. A point-after by Tony Vasquez gave the Colonists a 20-8 lead.

Panther quarterback Andy Lauridsen scored from five yards out with 7:18 to play in the game to make the score 20-15. But that was as close as Orange got.

Orange did a sensational job of keeping Droughns in check, limiting him to 61 yards and the touchdown in 19 carries. He entered the game with 744 yards and nine touchdowns.

The Colonists led, 13-8, at halftime despite Droughns being limited to 20 yards in eight carries. His midway numbers were a little misleading, however, because two illegal motion penalties on Anaheim’s opening possession wiped out 97 yards for Droughns, including an 84-yard run.

Anaheim’s early miscues came after an excellent game-opening drive for Orange, which took an 8-0 lead on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Lauridsen to Art Bell and a two-point conversion run by Markus Garza. The Panthers controlled the ball for 12 plays and 6:29.

But Orange couldn’t regain its touch in the remainder of the half, and Anaheim capitalized on the Panthers’ mistakes.

After a 35-yard field goal by Vasquez at 10:14 of the second quarter cut Orange’s lead to 8-3, Herrera and Killian Nowden, Reuben Droughns’ brother, teamed to give Anaheim the lead for good.

They combined on a 48-yard touchdown pass with 7:15 to play before halftime.