ANAHEIM – A spectator in the stands on the Cypress side of the stadium yelled, “Bring on the Trinity League!”

Cypress defeated San Juan Hills 35-10 on Thursday in a nonleague game at Western High.

San Juan Hills lost to Santa Margarita by 10 points last week. Santa Margarita is in the Trinity League, which often is billed as the state’s best high school football league.

That Cypress beat San Juan Hills by 25 points and Santa Margarita beat San Juan Hills by 10 was on the minds of some.

“We know we can take on anyone,” said Cypress senior Trevor Monteleone.

The receiver/safety is often the best player on the field, and he was Thursday, scoring a touchdown on a pass reception and a TD on an interception return.

Cypress (2-0), which defeated Foothill last week, is No. 12 in this week’s Orange County top 25. San Juan Hills (0-2) is No. 11.

The Centurions had a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter and was clearly the superior team from there.

“We just believe in the scheme that the coaches teach,” Monteleone said. “And we can do whatever we put our minds to.”

Cypress coach Rick Feldman did not foresee a 25-point win over San Juan Hills.

“I’m a little stunned by it,“Feldman said. “We had the worst week of practice ever. They (the players) executed the game plan on both sides really, really well.”

Monteleone turned a short pass reception into a 34-yard touchdown play in the second quarter. He returned an interception 47 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Cypress quarterback Aidan Houston completed 19 of 23 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns. Matt Morrell had nine receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown.

Centurions defensive end Kaden Hollenbeck picked off a pass at the line of scrimmage and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown.

Cypress took a 7-0 lead with 7:10 to go in the first quarter on a 70-yard touchdown pass from Houston to Blake Cuisamano. Cuisamano caught Houston’s long throw at the San Juan Hills 30-yard line and made two expert cuts to evade tacklers and get to the end zone.

The Centurions extended their lead to 14-0 on a 34-yard pass from Houston to Monteleone in the first minute of the second quarter. Monteleone caught a short pass, dodged and angled his way to the front left pylon, dove for the marker and hit it.

San Juan Hills scored with 8:40 left in the first half on a 1-yard run by running back Sullivan Land to make it 14-7.

What looked like a spectacular leaping interception by Monteleone was called pass interference on him, keeping the Stallions scoring drive alive.

San Juan Hills junior cornerback Isaiah Bennett had two interceptions in the first half.

Cypress stretched the lead to 21-7 on Hollenbeck’s touchdown in the third quarter.

After San Juan Hills’ Max Ricuarte kicked a 27-yard field goal Morrell scored his touchdown.

Morrell took a short pass over the middle and outran the San Juan Hills secondary, pulling away from the pack over the final 30 yards of the 57-yard play.

Monteleone’s 47-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter capped the scoring.

San Juan Hills starting quarterback Michael “Butter” Tollefson exited the game in the third quarter with what appeared to be an injury to his left hip. Freshman quarterback Tristan Zale filled in for the Stallions for the remainder of the contest.

Cypress was 10-3 last season. The Centurions went undefeated in the Empire League and advanced to the semifinals of the CIF-SS Division 4 playoffs.

Feldman has coached Cypress in some important wins in his nine years in charge. He was particularly impressed by Thursday’s victory.

“This is right with some of our best performances, for sure,” he said.

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San Juan Hills played without two starting linemen and its best returning pass catchers. Tight end Brayden Bockler is out for a few weeks because of a broken finger that requires surgery.

Cypress was without starting senior left tackle Gavin Soza who will miss a couple of more games because of strained knee cartilage.

Cypress plays Western at Western High in a nonleague game Thursday, Sept. 1. San Juan Hills plays at Roosevelt on Friday, Sept. 2.