Shorter Stands Tall as Cypress Routs Saddleback

Darren Shorter rushed for 223 yards and two touchdowns as Cypress defeated Saddleback, 40-14, Saturday night in a Southern Section Division VI first-round playoff game at Western High.

Cypress (10-1) will play top-seeded La Mirada (11-0) in the second round Friday at a site to be determined.

Shorter, who carried 24 times, ran 58 yards for a touchdown on a draw play with 1:35 remaining in the second quarter to give the Centurions a 26-14 lead at halftime. The run came on the first play after linebacker Jelani Gamba sacked Saddleback quarterback Ramon Saavedra on fourth down to give Cypress the ball at its 42-yard line.

Saddleback’s chances for a comeback in the second half diminished after Saavedra, who threw for 175 yards in the first half, injured his right knee early in the third quarter.

Heriberto Guzman returned the second-half kickoff 50 yards to give Saddleback (5-6) a first down at the Cypress 47-yard line. A personal foul penalty by Cypress moved the ball to the 38, but on second-and-10, Saavedra was hit and left the game.

Cypress put the game away in the fourth quarter when Shorter capped a 62-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run to make it 33-14 with 7:22 remaining. The Centurions then forced Saddleback to punt from its nine and Robert Clark returned the short punt 27 yards to the 10.

Quarterback Justin Rice threw a 10-yard screen pass to Kerry Lathon for a touchdown on the next play and Cypress increased the lead to 40-14 with 4:49 remaining.

Without Saavedra, who completed 12 of 23 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown, the Roadrunners had no passing threat. His replacement, sophomore Ryan Dail, was one of three for nine yards.