Anaheim Beats Canyon, Ends Home-Field Drought

It had been four years since Anaheim won a home game and Friday night at Glover Stadium, the Colonists ended the drought.

The Colonists defeated Canyon, 18-7, giving Ben Haley his first victory as Anaheim coach.

Haley, an Anaheim alumnus, was ecstatic. He took the job last spring after spending six seasons at Santiago.

“This victory means a great deal to the program,” Haley said. “The kids have been working hard and we improved every week. Our persistence and attention to detail is finally starting to carry over onto the field.”

Senior running back John Davis Jr. ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns for Anaheim (1-3), which plays at Buena Park next Friday.

Anaheim’s defense was also solid. It dominated the line of scrimmage and didn’t give up an offensive score. Canyon (2-2) gained less than 100 yards of total offense. The Comanches’ only touchdown came on a 49-yard fumble return by Arturro Navarro early in the second quarter. Navarro stripped the ball from Davis and gave Canyon a 7-6 lead.

After a tightly contested first half, Davis kept Canyon off-balance with his shifty moves and ability to break tackles.

Davis scored on a 12-yard run with 10 minutes 32 seconds left in the third quarter to give Anaheim a 12-7 lead. He scored from one yard with five minutes left in the game to seal the victory.