LA HABRA – The Orange football team kept throwing bricks Friday against La Habra’s defensive wall, which finally crumbled after one hit too many.
The Panthers (2-2) ran for 130 yards and three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, pulling away to a 34-6 victory in a nonleague game to end a two-game losing streak.
Kobe Boykin ran for 129 yards and two short fourth-quarter touchdowns, then Deon Jackson broke what was left of the wall with a68-yard touchdown run with 2:19 left in the game.
The Panthers struck a quick blow on Lesley Wendell’s 10-yard touchdown run 3½ minutes into the game, but rarely saw the ball the rest of the first half.
The Highlanders ate up nearly half the first quarter with their only scoring drive, which ended with Jacob Apocada’s 2-yard TD run.
A seven-minute possession for La Habra in the second quarter ended in a fourth-down fumble.
Highlanders linebacker Isaiah Rodriguez anchored a well-rested defense that held Orange to 95 first-half yards, but despite that and dominating the clock, La Habra still trailed 7-6.
Orange started to crack the wall when it ground out a 59-yard, 14-play drive, ending with Ardwon Morris’ 3-yard TD run with 3:39 left in the third quarter.
It was just 13-6, but on the Panthers’ next possession, Boykin bounced a run outside for 31 yards before being caught at the 2-yard line. He scored three plays later, from a yard out, 25 seconds into the fourth quarter.
The next drive was almost all his. He took a handoff to the left then cut back for 18 yards down the right sideline, and two plays later burst for 33 yards to the La Habra 2. He scored two plays later for a 27-6 lead with 3:44 left to play.
Despite giving up two time-consuming possessions in the first half, Orange’s defense held La Habra to 117 yards of total offense.
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The Highlanders had 95 yards rushing. Quarterback Justin Gil completed three of eight passes for 35 yards, was intercepted by Jett White, and was sacked three times.
The Panthers had 304 yards of total offense, with 287 yards rushing.