It Turns Out Sweet for Brea

A dream season came to a nightmarish end for Buena Park in the Southern Section Division IX final Friday night. The memory of Brea Olinda should haunt the Coyotes for some time.

The Wildcats kept Buena Park on its heels with a balanced offense and snuffed out the Coyotes’ running game before it could get warm in a 45-15 victory in front of approximately 6,400 at Cal State Fullerton.

The victory secured Brea Olinda’s fifth section title and first since 1963, when it completed a run of four championships in five years. It was also the first undefeated season for the Wildcats (13-0) in 40 years and the largest margin of victory in the division final since it was formed in 1988.

“We’ve been talking about this since we were freshmen,” said quarterback Steve Stagnaro, a three-year starter who threw for 148 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 96 and two scores.

Buena Park (9-5) had never won a playoff game in the school’s 45-year history until three weeks ago, and the importance of the title game seemed to overwhelm the Coyotes from the start. The Wildcats scored on four of six first-half drives and took a 24-0 lead into the locker room.

After Matt Votaw’s 29-yard field goal on the game’s opening possession gave Brea a 3-0 lead, the Wildcats got their first break when sophomore John Yazdi recovered a wind-blown muffed punt by teammate Dwayne Corbitt at the Brea 34. Less than a minute later, Manuel Gutierrez gave the Wildcats a 10-0 lead with a one-yard touchdown run.