Defense Does It for Barons, 21-6

On a night when its offense committed a multitude of sins, Fountain Valley found redemption in its defense.

The Barons opened Sunset League play by giving away four turnovers, having two touchdowns erased by penalties . . . and riding their sturdy defense to a 21-6 homecoming victory over Huntington Beach Friday before about 2,000 at Huntington Beach High.

“Our defense looked real good,” said Eric Johnson, Fountain Valley’s first-year coach. “It was dominant.”

That came in handy on a difficult evening for the Baron offense, which lost starting tailback Nedal Abdelmuti (hamstring) and all-league fullback/defensive end Steven Fifita (ankle) to injury.

“Those are key guys,” Johnson said. “Losing them put pressure on our defense, but we responded.”

The Barons held Oiler tailback Shaun Shuck to 53 yards--well under his per-game average of 110.6--in 25 carries.

Huntington Beach managed only 175 yards, and 91 of them came on two plays--a 52-yard run by Russel Oschman and a flea-flicker that resulted in the 39-yard Casey Ryder-to-Shaun Donahoe pass for the Oilers’ only touchdown on the last play of the third quarter.

“We wanted the shutout, but they hit that trick play,” Johnson said.

First-half penalties wiped out Fifita’s four-yard scoring run and Abdelmuti’s 69-yard touchdown on a screen pass. But the Barons scored twice in the last four minutes of the second quarter, on Abdelmuti’s 21-yard run and Casey Clark’s 30-yard pass to Eddie Irwin. Channing Jung’s 20-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter clinched it with five minutes to play.

Abdelmuti carried 12 times for 73 yards (he averages 105.4) before getting hurt early in the third quarter. Clark completed three of four passes for 97 yards.