Williamson Carries Western Past La Habra

Jamiah Williamson rushed for 93 yards and one touchdown in 19 carries to give Western a 27-7 victory over La Habra in a Southern Section Division IV first-round game Friday night at La Habra High.

The Pioneers seized the momentum for good when Will Ruffin intercepted a pass from La Habra’s Randall Parra and returned it for 65 yards to the Highlander 32-yard line. Ruffin’s interception halted a potential game-tying drive in the fourth quarter.

Western (6-4-1) followed the interception with a 13-yard touchdown by Williamson for a 21-7 lead with 6:20 remaining in the game.

After a scoreless first quarter, Western’s Mike Hicks threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jon Whittman that capped a 55-yard drive with 5:26 left in the half.

The Highlanders (6-5) evened the score when Marcus Arredondo ran for an eight-yard touchdown. It capped a 73-yard drive with 4:19 left in the third quarter.

Western took the lead for good when David Gabor ran for a 29-yard touchdown to culminate an 11-play, 88-yard drive with 27 seconds left in the quarter.

La Habra’s Josh Herrera carried the ball 31 yards, accounting for 178 of the Highlanders’ 233 yards of offense.

Western meets Pacifica, a 14-6 winner over Costa Mesa, in next week’s second round.