Malcolm in Middle of Tustin Win

Marquis Malcolm rushed for 225 yards and three touchdowns and Tustin knocked off host Orange El Modena, 35-22, in the Century League opener for both teams Thursday night.

The battle between the top two teams in the league figured to come down to the ground game. El Modena (3-3, 0-1) rushed for 151 yards, less than half its season average, while the visiting Tillers (2-4, 1-0) piled up 372 yards.

El Modena scored on its opening drive but went three-and-out on two of its next three possessions as Tustin built a 28-7 lead. Malcolm, who had only 50 yards in the first half, rushed for 175 after the break, including runs of 41, 34 and 31 yards. The Vanguards picked up 159 of their 260 yards and scored twice in the final quarter.

-- Eric Maddy

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Los Alamitos 42, Huntington Beach 21 -- The Griffins surrendered 310 yards rushing and two touchdowns to Patrick Harrigan but didn’t allow him to score in the second half and The Times’ No. 5 ranked team took the Sunset League opener at Long Beach Veterans Stadium.

Senior quarterback Jeff Kline accounted for 293 yards and four touchdowns for the Griffins (5-0-1). Kline, playing the entire game with Justin Elway out two weeks with a separated shoulder, threw for 175 yards and two scores and ran for 118 yards and two touchdowns in eight carries.

With the game tied, 21-21, Harrigan opened the second half with a 39-yard run but the Oilers (4-2) couldn’t sustain any drives. Harrigan fumbled twice in the second half.

Eric Stephens

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Morena Valley Canyon Springs 14, Riverside Arlington 7 -- Linebacker Drean Rucker intercepted a pass at midfield with one minute remaining to secure the Ivy League opener at Riverside Ramona High.

The No. 25 Cougars (5-0-1) scored on their first two possessions of the game for a 14-0 lead, then held Arlington (4-2) to only one first down and 35 total yards in the first half. The Lions received its second first down on a facemask penalty late in the third quarter, then scored two plays later on a 32-yard touchdown pass from John Sandoval to Carl Brewster.

Arlington got the ball back twice more in the fourth quarter, but were stopped on downs at midfield on the first drive and Rucker ended the second.

Dan Arritt

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Hacienda Height Los Altos 30, Covina South Hills 7 -- Daniel Drayton recovered a fumble, returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown and rushed for two touchdowns to lead No. 10 Los Altos, ranked No. 1 in Division VI, to the nonleague victory at Covina Stadium.

The junior rushed 15 times for 78 yards and touchdowns of 13 and six yards. He gave the Conquerors (5-1) a 24-0 lead in the third quarter on his punt return, which came after South Hills had a 36-yard scoring pass nullified by a penalty.

South Hills (4-2), ranked No. 3 in Division VII, twice failed to score in the first half when inside Los Altos’ five-yard line. The Huskies scored with 3:56 to play on Phillip Guerrero’s one-yard sneak.

Martin Henderson