Bruce Leads Fullerton to Narrow Victory

Fullerton quarterback Justin Bruce threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Michael Sailhammer with 1:21 remaining to lead the Indians to a 19-14 comeback victory over La Habra in a Freeway League game Friday night at La Habra. With the loss, the Highlanders (7-3, 2-3) finish fourth in league and are out of the playoffs.

After Fullerton had fallen behind, 14-13, with 3:44 remaining, Bruce led a seven-play, 77-yard scoring drive to seal Fullerton’s only league victory of the season.

“We just stepped it up and scored when we had to,” Bruce said. “I was nervous, but this was payback time for us. They [La Habra] underrated us.”

Fullerton took a 7-0 lead with 2:28 left in the first quarter when Chad Staffieri capped a 69-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown run. Staffieri rushed for 111 yards in 25 carries and set up a touchdown by intercepting a Robert Morales pass.

Midway through the second quarter, Fullerton increased its lead to 13-0 when Joseph Emigh raced into the end zone from 36-yards.