Rivera Helps Buena Park Beat Savanna

Buena Park’s Francisco Rivera had two touchdown receptions and returned an interception for another score and Chris Miller had two key fourth-quarter sacks to help the Coyotes to a 19-15 nonleague victory over Savanna Friday night at Buena Park.

The victory was Buena Park’s first of the season.

Earl Parker’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Rivera with 8 minutes 35 seconds left in the game was the winning score for the Coyotes (1-3). The score was set up when Savanna was called for a dead ball foul after the Coyotes’ drive had stalled.

Savanna had struck first, only three plays in to the game. Quarterback Brad Thompson connected with receiver Daniel Torres on a 57-yard touchdown with 10 minutes 39 seconds remaining in the first quarter for the Rebels (2-2).

The Coyotes’ first score came with 11:47 left in the second quarter, when quarterback Earl Parker hit Rivera with a 50-yard scoring strike cutting the lead to 7-6, after a missed extra-point kick. Parker, who was bothered by the flu this week, lost 15 pounds and was unable to practice, threw the ball only 18 times, well below his average of 40 passes a game.

Two plays after the next kickoff, Rivera intercepted a pass and returned 29 yards for the touchdown and a 12-7 halftime lead.

On their first possession of the third quarter, Savanna drove 90 yards in six plays, ending with Thompson’s one-yard touchdown plunge. A two-point conversion gave the Rebels a 15-12 lead.