PREP EXTRA: SATURDAY FOOTBALL PULLOUT : ORANGE LEAGUE : Western Remains Unbeaten by Rallying Past Anaheim

Western stayed on the short list of unbeaten football teams in Orange County with a 21-17 Orange League victory over Anaheim Friday at Western High.

Western (7-0-1, 2-0-1 in league) joins Mater Dei, Los Alamitos and Newport Harbor as the only teams without a loss, while moving into a first-place tie with Brea-Olinda in league.

The Pioneers found themselves on the brink of defeat after Anaheim’s Tony Vasquez kicked a 22-yard field goal with 3 minutes 41 seconds left in the game to give the Colonists a 17-14 lead.

However, Western countered with its biggest play of the game. Dean Chambers hit Justin Starkey on a 64-yard pass to the Anaheim 16. Two plays later, Josh Burdett run nine yards up the middle for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:43 remaining.

Anaheim (5-2-1, 0-2-1) was then stopped on fourth down at midfield ensuring the Pioneers’ homecoming victory,

“The last time we were undefeated this late in the year was 1984 and we lost right here to Anaheim,” Western Coach Jim Howell said.

Western took a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter when David Bell caught a 12-yard touchdown pass after the throw was deflected by an Anaheim defender.

Burdett added to the lead when he bulled through three tackles and ran 30 yards for a score with 4:12 left in the first half.

Reuben Droughns, who sat out the first series because of a lingering illness, got the Anaheim offense rolling when he crisscrossed the field for a 53-yard gain. Two plays later, he broke through the defense for a 19-yard touchdown run making it 14-7 at the half.

Anaheim got even with a 16-play, 80-yard drive to open the second half, culminated with a Rudy Herrera to Mike Slach seven-yard scoring pass.

Droughns finished with 182 yards in 30 carries.