Sunny Hills Romps Past La Habra, 46-7

Sunny Hills was expected to be the dominant team in the Freeway League this season. And the Lancers certainly looked the part Friday, if their 46-7 rout of La Habra is any indication.

In front of an estimated 2,500 at Buena Park, Sunny Hills overran the visiting Highlanders with a relentless rushing attack, and stopped La Habra with one of the county’s best defensive units.

Lancer running backs Adam Rodriguez and Kevin Haiola combined for 279 yards and five touchdowns. Rodriguez rushed for 128 yards and four touchdowns.

Sunny Hills’ rushing attack was so potent--417 yards--that quarterback Jared Bruce’s one completion (for 32 yards) in six attempts wasn’t a problem.

“Tonight the offensive line really played well and opened some huge holes for Adam and Kevin,” Sunny Hills Coach Tim Devaney said. “It was definitely the best game we’ve played this year.”

It could have been worse, considering Sunny Hills (6-1, 2-0) had three touchdowns, including an 84-yard punt return by Guy Porter, negated because of penalties.

Coach Rick Milhizer said before the game his Highlanders (2-4-1, 0-1-1) had to play error-free foot ball to have a chance to win. But that went out the window midway through the first quarter.

La Habra had run 12 plays from the opening kickoff, primarily using dump-off passes from quarterback Robert Morales (147 yards) to running backs to move the ball from the Highlanders’ 20 to the Lancers’ four-yard line.

But the 13th play proved unlucky, as Jesse Giovannetti fumbled--the first of four by La Habra in the half, and five for the game--and Sunny Hills linebacker Nick Tsimahidis recovered at the eight.

The Lancers misfired on a couple of pass plays, then let Haiola and Rodriguez run rampant. Rodriguez had most of the real estate on this 92-yard drive, in particular a 36-yard touchdown burst that saw him weave in and out of the grasps of four La Habra tacklers. The point after was no good.

On the final play of the first quarter from the 48, Morales found Josh Herrera at the Lancers’ 45, and the running back did the rest, cutting back across the field to complete a 52-yard touchdown play. With the extra point, La Habra took its only lead of the game, 7-6.

But thanks in part to more La Habra miscues, the Lancers put the game away with three second-quarter touchdowns.

George Seargent recovered a fumbled La Habra punt return at the Highlanders’ 18, and three plays later Rodriguez scored from two yards.

Andrew Tindukasiri blocked a La Habra punt on the Highlander nine, picked up the ball and scored. “The key play of the game,” Milhizer said.

And with 2 minutes 9 seconds remaining in the half, Rodriguez capped the Lancers’ offensive eruption, scoring his third touchdown on a one-yard plunge.