Buena Park’s Late Victory Is the Bomb

Trailing Anaheim by two points with a little more than two minutes remaining and facing a fourth-and-five at its own 40-yard line, Buena Park went for it all.

Quarterback Tho Thach, who had thrown for only 18 yards up to that point in the game, heaved the ball as far as he could toward a streaking Joey Alatorre, who turned around just in time to catch the 60-yarder for a touchdown to win it for host Buena Park, 13-9, Friday in a nonleague game.

Despite his heroics, Alatorre was reserved after the game, chalking up the catch as a routine play he should have made.

“I just did what I had to do,” Alatorre said. “I was open. It was senior leadership, that’s all I have to say.”

Both teams seemed to move the ball at will in the first half, but turnovers killed several drives.

Anaheim kicker Mauricio Garcia missed a 39-yard field-goal attempt and wide receiver Jorge Munoz fumbled away a potential touchdown into the end zone after catching a 62-yard pass from Ryan Paterson, resulting in a touchback for Buena Park.

For Buena Park, Thach had one of his passes picked off in the end zone after a long drive, and Gullermo Montona also missed a 39-yard field goal attempt.

Buena Park (3-2) scored the only points of the first half on Sheldon Reid’s 80-yard touchdown run. Reid finished with 130 yards rushing in eight carries.

Anaheim (1-4) pulled to within 7-6 on John Davis Jr.’s two-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, capping a 70-yard drive. Davis rushed for a game-high 209 yards in 27 carries.

Following Alatorre’s touchdown catch, Anaheim got the ball back with 2 minutes 11 seconds left, but Buena Park’s defense held on for the win. Munoz caught a pass at the Buena Park 28 as time expired.