Buena Park Holds Off Sonora in Fourth Quarter to Win

Buena Park quarterback Oscar Rojas scored on a 17-yard run with 25 seconds remaining to propel the Coyotes to a 30-27 victory over Sonora in a Freeway League game Friday night at La Habra High.

Rojas, playing in place of Tho Thach, who was injured last week against Fullerton, started Buena Park (4-4, 1-2) on an eight-play 80-yard drive with one minute, 13 seconds remaining in the game.

“It was do or die on the last drive,” Rojas said. “We never thought we were ‘in the bag’ after we got down. We had to win this game for our seniors and to keep our playoff hopes alive.”

Buena Park led, 15-13, after three quarters but the excitement started in the fourth quarter, with the lead changed hands four times in the final 5:19 of the game.

Behind the throwing and running of Nick Ross, Sonora (5-3, 1-2) rallied from a 15-0 deficit, taking the lead, 21-15, with 5:44 remaining in the game when Ross scored on a one-yard run.

The Coyotes retook the lead, 22-21, with 2:21 remaining when Evan Lopez, who rushed for a game-high 146 yards on 25 carries, scored on a 21-yard run.

Ross then marched Sonora the length of the field in just over a minute, putting the Raiders back in the lead, 27-22, with a three-yard run with 1:13 remaining.

But Ross’ pass for a two-point conversion fell incomplete and that set the stage Rojas’ heroics.

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FREEWAY

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League Overall School W L T W L T Fullerton 3 0 0 7 1 0 La Habra 3 0 0 7 1 0 Sonora 1 2 0 5 3 0 Troy 1 2 0 5 3 0 Buena Park 1 2 0 4 4 0 Sunny Hills 0 3 0 0 8 0

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WEEK 8

Friday’s results

* Fullerton 28, Sunny Hills 0

* La Habra 20, Troy 16

* Buena Park 30, Sonora 27

WEEK 9

Friday, Nov. 3

Fullerton at La Habra

Sonora vs. Troy at Fullerton HS

Sunny Hills at Buena Park