BUENA PARK — The Sunny Hills football team remained undefeated with a 21-13 victory over Woodbridge in a nonleague game Thursday at Buena Park High School.

After scoring a total of 77 points in their first two victories the Lancers (3-0) needed to rely more on their defense in the victory over the Warriors (1-2).

Sunny Hills’ defense gave up one fourth-quarter touchdown and stopped Woodbridge from converting what would have been a game-tying 2-point conversion late in the game.

The contest was arguably decided in the second quarter when the Warriors had a first-and-goal from the Sunny Hills 4-yard line  and a first-and-goal from the 1 on consecutive drives and came away with no points both times.

“Our defense was just lights out tonight,” Sunny Hills coach David Wilde said. “We were on the field all the time. They won that game for us.”

On the first goal-line stand, the Lancers forced an incomplete pass on first down and then shut down the Warriors on three consecutive running plays.

The Lancers were punting from their own end zone on the ensuing drive when Woodbridge partially blocked the punt and recovered the ball on the 1.

On first down, the Warriors were held to no gain on a running play.

Woodbridge was penalized 5 yards on second down and then threw two consecutive incomplete passes, setting up a 22-yard field goal attempt that was unsuccessful.

“It was just amazing, those goal-line stands,” Wilde said.

Sunny Hills led 12-0 when the Warriors closed the gap with Ayden McKay’s 70-yard punt return for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Zayyir Miramontes’ 32-yard field goal gave Lancers a 15-7 lead with just under six minutes remaining.

Woodbridge was in a position to tie the score with a touchdown and 2-point conversion.

The Warriors got the touchdown they needed on a perfectly executed middle screen from Caden Godby to Tatum Ramos for a 30-yard score.

But the Lancers stopped the Warriors’ 2-point conversion attempt and then got a 45-yard kickoff return from William Brown on Woodbridge’s onside kick.

The return set up Elias Vorathavorn’s 1-yard touchdown run to get the Lancers’ lead back to eight.

Vorathavorn, the Lancers’ No.1 running back, was injured in the first game of the season and sat out the second game before returning to action in the fourth quarter.

Johhny Ramirez has been filling in as the Lancers’ No.1 back and ran for 107 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries – his third consecutive game with 100-plus yards.

Johhny Ramirez of Sunny Hills had 18 carries for 107 yards and a touchdown and grabbed an interception in the Lancers’ 21-13 nonleague victory over Woodbridge on Thursday, Aug. 31. (Photo by Lou Ponsi)

Ramirez also had an interception late in the fourth to put the game away.

“It feels great,” Ramirez said. “We had a rough season last year and to be the first team in a while to be 3-0 feels good.”

Related Articles