Meza’s Big Night Lifts Lancers to Big Victory

The Orange Lutheran-Cerritos Valley Christian rivalry has produced a number of barn-burners in this decade, but Friday night’s game wasn’t one of them.

Orange Lutheran amassed 560 total yards, dominated on both sides of the ball, and came away with a 33-13 victory before about 1,500 at Brea Olinda High.

Orange Lutheran’s Jason Whieldon passed for three first-half touchdowns and finished with 190 yards passing overall. Running back Dee Meza picked up 191 of his school-record 318 rushing yards in the first half, as the Lancers (5-1, 2-0) were never really tested on their way to a 27-7 halftime lead.

The previous school record of 279 yards rushing had stood for 11 seasons.

“I don’t really care about the record, but I am surprised by this,” Meza said. “I didn’t expect this kind of score.”

In winning for only the fourth time in 18 games (all in the 1990s) against its Los Angeles County rival, Orange Lutheran did just about everything right. That was particularly true in the first half, when the Lancers outgained the Crusaders 314-168 in total yards.

Whieldon capped long drives with scoring passes of 13 and 30 yards to Tim Fleming and 24 yards to Jeff Renevier for a 21-point lead midway through the second quarter. The Lancer defense, anchored by linebacker Pat Salyer, kept the Crusaders (4-2, 2-1) in check.

Valley Christian’s first offensive thrust came by way of several scrambles under heavy pressure by quarterback Randy Vanderhook. His nice individual effort on a 32-yard scoring run got the Crusaders on the scoreboard with 50 seconds left in the half.

But Whieldon and Meza wasted little time. When the Lancers got the ball back on their 35 after Valley Christian failed to recover a short kick, Meza gained 43 yards, cutting against the grain several times.

On the next play Whieldon passed over the middle to Renevier at the Valley Christian one-yard line, then Meza capped the drive with a one-yard run.

In another Olympic League game:

Ontario Christian 28, Brethren Christian 20--With three touchdowns each, Nathan Farris of Brethren Christian and Ontario Christian’s Ryan Fuqua traded scores all night, but Fuqua scored the final one for host Ontario Christian.

In the third quarter, Fuqua (27 carries for 331 yards) scored from 70 yards and Farris answered from nine yards to cut Ontario Christian’s lead to 21-20. Fuqua scored again from 12 yards with 8:32 remaining in the game, but fumbled on Ontario Christian’s 25-yard line with 1:32 left.

Brethren Christian (3-3, 0-2), however, failed to capitalize in four plays. Ontario Christian is 4-2, 1-1.