PREP EXTRA / ORANGE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL : Javan Leads Oilers Past Westminster

For much of the game Friday night, Huntington Beach seemed to be exploring ways to come close to the end zone without scoring.

The Oilers fumbled once at the one and another time at the three in the first half. But thanks to a clutch fourth-quarter pass by quarterback Mershad Javan, Huntington Beach beat host Westminster, 7-6, in a nonleague game.

Huntington Beach had a first and goal at the Westminster five with about four minutes left in the game, but consecutive holding penalties moved the Oilers back to the Westminster 28.

Javan rescued the Oilers on the next play when he lofted a pass down the left sideline that David Van Hoorebeke ran under in full stride at about the three. Van Hoorebeke fell into the end zone just as he was hit.

Van Hoorebeke had made a catch but fumbled on the Westminster three earlier in the game.

Brent Chancellor kicked the extra point to put Huntington Beach ahead, 7-6, with three minutes 10 seconds left.

“The kid threw a good ball to get us up there [on the scoreboard],” Huntington Beach Coach George Pascoe said. “The fumbles really hurt us. We can’t do that going into league play.”

Westminster’s final chance ended when quarterback Manual Tapia scrambled 19 yards but came up a yard short on fourth down with about a minute left at the Huntington Beach 46.

Tapia, who rushed for 79 yards and passed for 78, contributed a key run to set up Westminster’s third-quarter touchdown.

He went 43 yards around left end to give the Lions (2-3) a first down at the two. Ricky Quintana scored on a two-yard run with 8:14 to play in the quarter.

The point after try, which was low, was blocked by the center of the Huntington Beach line.

Huntington Beach was on the verge of scoring early in the second quarter when the Oilers had second down at the Westminster one. But Javan and running back Jason Lockin mishandled the hand-off and Lockin inadvertently kicked the ball out of the back of the end zone for a touchback.

Lockin finished with 171 yards in 27 carries.

Sparky Kale rushed for 90 yards in 14 carries. He broke loose for 44 yards on the second-to-last play of the first half.