La Habra Beats Whittier With a Late Rally

Redemption was sweet for quarterback Robert Morales and multipurpose player Nick Armstrong in La Habra’s 17-7 victory over Whittier Thursday night at California High School.

The Highlanders (1-0) trailed 7-3 with 51 seconds left in the game and faced fourth and five on Whittier’s 10-yard line. Morales found Armstrong in the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown pass and a 10-7 lead.

Morales had struggled all game, completing only five of 16 passes and was replaced earlier in the fourth quarter by Armstrong. Armstrong, leading an option offense, had had problems of his own. On third down, with less than seven minutes left to play, Armstrong committed a personal foul that gave the Cardinals the ball on the Highlander 14-yard line.

On fourth and one, Whittier’s Connor Scott took advantage gained two yards for a first down. Four plays later, Scott, who rushed 26 times for 130 yards, scored on a one-yard run with 5:10 left giving the Cardinals their 7-3 lead.

La Habra then took over on its 30-yard line and drove to the 10 on a series of rushing plays by Armstrong and Tom White and a facemask penalty. Then Morales returned to the field to play quarterback and passed to Armstrong for the touchdown and the lead.

Whittier had a last shot, but Dennis Pettersen intercepted a Juan Cid pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown.