Barons step up, win

HUNTINGTON BEACH — Fountain Valley High football Coach Ray Fenton has had no qualms with his defense this season, a unit that had played well in losses to Servite and Long Beach Wilson to open the season.

It was the Barons’ offense that he felt hadn’t been playing up to par.

Thursday at Huntington Beach High, the Fountain Valley defense again came through and its offense put up its highest point total in three games, yet it still took a pair of defensive gems to preserve a 31-24 nonleague victory over Trabuco Hills at Sheue Field.

“Our defense has played really well now for three games, but our offense had been stagnant, until tonight,” Fenton said. “We finally were able to establish our running game and our defense made some fantastic plays there at the end to help us get the win.”

Fountain Valley (1-2) had led for three quarters until a 38-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cooper Uhl to tight end Campbell Conway put Trabuco Hills (0-3) into the lead at 24-23 with 11:11 remaining. The Barons regained the lead for good by mounting a 70-yard scoring drive midway through the fourth quarter. A 15-yard pass from quarterback Chad Olberding to receiver Kent Swift on a third-and-nine play from the Trabuco 47 kept the drive alive. Olberding later would score on a 15-yard keeper, then on a two-point run, for a 31-24 Fountain Valley lead with 4:59 remaining.

The offense had done its part. Now, it was the defense’s turn.

On Trabuco’s next series, the Mustangs, ranked seventh in the CIF Southern Section Southwest Division, went from their own 20 down to the Fountain Valley 39, a 28-yard pass from Uhl to Conway the big play in the drive. Uhl was banged up on the play and was replaced by Luukas Harlin. On first down Harlin’s pass intended for Conway was intercepted by Barons linebacker Daniel Serrano. The junior made a great play, stepping in front of Conway inside the Fountain Valley sideline at the 33, tipped the ball and juggled it before securing it just before hitting the chalk line.

The play gave the Barons the ball back at their own 44 with 3:30 left. A minute later, though, Trabuco got the ball back when linebacker Scott Kruger recovered a fumble by Olberding at the Barons’ 38.

Fountain Valley’s defense stiffened. The Mustangs got to the 40 where they needed less than a yard for a first down and extend the drive. On fourth down, a host of Barons charged the backfield where Serrano was able to trip up Trabuco’s star running back, Chad Crosbie, for no gain. The Barons took over on downs with 1:17 left, and were able to run out the clock.

“We’ve overcome some adversity and I’m so, so happy for the kids because they have worked really, really hard,” Fenton said. “We had a tough first few weeks but I’m proud of how the kids pulled through tonight.”

Fountain Valley, which lost key offensive player Dakarai Barnett to injury before the start of the season, pretty much controlled the first half of play but a big touchdown run by Crosbie with less than five minutes remaining in the half, brought the Mustangs back from a double-digit deficit.

The Barons contained Crosbie and the Trabuco offense in the first quarter, limiting the Mustangs to two total yards in their first two possessions. The Barons, meanwhile, got their running game going behind Olberding. On their first possession, he guided them down to the Trabuco 17 where the Barons settled for a 37-yard field goal by Ben Filipek.

It gave the Barons their first lead in a game this season.

Fountain Valley also scored on its second series. A four-play drive that covered 52 yards started with a 14-yard keeper by Olberding followed by a 16-yard reverse run by running back Moe Falealii, a 12-yard gain by Olberding, and ended with a 15-yard touchdown run by running back George Sykes. Filipek’s kick gave the Barons a 10-0 lead midway through the quarter.

Trabuco, which won the CIF-SS Southwest Division championship last year and started the season ranked No. 2 in the division, got its first points on a 36-yard field goal by Joel Velazquez on the second play of the second quarter. Fountain Valley opened up a 16-3 lead when Falealii took an inside handoff at his own 35, found a hole at the line of scrimmage and rambled in open space for a 69-yard touchdown run. The point after snap was fumbled, but the Barons had a 16-3 lead with 5:13 to go in the half.

That 13-point lead disappeared quickly.

On Trabuco’s second play from scrimmage after Falealii’s TD run, Crosbie found a seam and burst through the left side of the line and raced 64 yards to the end zone. His scoring run, and Velazquez’s kick, pulled the Mustangs to within 16-10 at the half.

“That guy’s an outstanding runner,” Fenton said of Crosbie. “They rode him to a CIF title last year, and he had a few big runs tonight that got them back in the ballgame.”

Fountain Valley took the second-half kickoff and pieced together an 80-yard scoring drive, which Fenton said was “awesome to see.” It ended when Olberding scored on a six-yard keeper for a 23-10 lead.

Late in the second quarter, Crosbie ripped off his second long run of the night to again bring the Mustangs back from 13 points. He again found a hole on the left side of the line and sped downfield for a 69-yard gain to the Fountain Valley eight. He scored on the next play on a run up the middle. The Mustangs were within one score at 23-17 with 2:54 left in the quarter.

Penalties hurt Fountain Valley on several offensive possessions, and the Barons couldn’t convert a few scoring opportunities, one set up by a 56-yard kickoff return to the Trabuco 42 by Trae Davis. The Barons reached the Trabuco 25 but a nine-yard pass on fourth-and-six from Olberding to tight end Angel Hernandez was ruled out of bounds at the 16.

Davis had an outstanding game. In addition to his big kickoff return, the lone kick return of the game for the Barons, the 5-foot-6 cornerback, who had played on offense the first two weeks of the season, had several key knock downs on long pass plays.

“Trae was tremendous,” Fenton said. “This was his first week playing corner, and he made some really big plays for us.”

Fountain Valley is back at Sheue Field next week. The Barons play host to Los Angeles West Adams Prep at 7 p.m. Sept. 18.

Fountain Valley (1-2)

7...Servite...45

11..Long Beach Wilson...26

31...Trabuco Hills...24

Sept. 18: West Adams Prep, 7 p.m. (at Huntington Beach High)

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Friday’s local prep football schedule (all games at 7 p.m.)

Canyon/Anaheim vs. Edison (at Huntington Beach High)

Huntington Beach vs. JSerra (at Saddleback College)

Westminster vs. Marina (at Westminster High)

Ocean View at Valley Christian

Workman vs. Brethren Christian (at Ocean View High)