Buena Park Extends Mastery of Fullerton

Buena Park High has spent the better part of the 1990s tormenting Fullerton, winning six of the teams’ nine Freeway League meetings before Friday, including the last three.

Last year’s loss to Buena Park really stuck in Fullerton’s craw because it deprived the Indians of an unbeaten league season and the outright league championship.

So despite some “it’s just another game” rhetoric during the week, Fullerton was is no mood to see the current streak continue.

But good intentions, good plays and good players didn’t matter for the Indians, as the Coyotes had another good time at their expense, romping to a 40-22 victory in the teams’ league opener before an estimated 1,600 at Fullerton.

It was the third straight win for Buena Park (3-3, 1-0). And it gave the Coyotes the opportunity to jump around the field and sing “Happy Birthday” to Coach Manny Saiz, who turned 32 Friday.

“I thought playing a tough preleague schedule would get us ready,” said Saiz, whose team’s losses have been to Cypress, Brea Olinda and La Mirada. “I had a feeling the offense would really come together tonight, and it did.”

Buena Park quarterback Earl Parker had a hot hand early, and he strafed the Fullerton secondary for 304 yards and four touchdowns, completing 15 of 25 passes.

Three scoring passes went to Will Flamenco, who caught eight balls for 145 yards. The other went to Francisco Rivera (five receptions, 134 yards), who also ran for the Coyotes’ final score from one yard out with 1:07 to play.

Parker had his own theory about why Buena Park has been so successful against Fullerton. And it has more to do with defense than offense.

“They have bigger players, especially the linemen,” Parker said. “Ours are smaller but quicker. And their offense doesn’t seem to work as well against a quicker defense.”

Especially when it has to come from behind. Fullerton (4-2, 1-0) found itself in a 20-6 hole after the first half. And its grind-it-out running game isn’t designed to strike quickly. Certainly not as quickly as Buena Park’s passing attack.

Indian quarterback Michael Echaves tried to keep up with Parker, completing 13 of 25 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns. But he was intercepted twice and sacked four times, three of them by linebacker Jimmy Pham.

Fullerton got a lift from the return of senior running back Armando Lopez, who had missed the past two games with a knee injury. He rushed for 57 yards in 11 carries and caught three passes for 71 yards, including a 52-yard score.

But it wasn’t enough. Then again, whatever Fullerton has done the past four games against Buena Park hasn’t been enough.