ORANGE – The first three games of this season were nothing like the end of 2015 for the Canyon football team.
The Comanches charged through the postseason last fall and won their first CIF-Southern Section title in school history, but struggled this season to pick up where they left off.
Canyon finally got on track Thursday night against Esperanza and ran away with a 34-0 victory at El Modena High.
Connor Dunn caught two-first half touchdown passes from quarterback Anthony Marquez and ran for another as the Comanches built a 27-0 halftime lead.
“We were really discouraged in ourselves and we just came out fighting,” Dunn said. “Two weeks ago against Edison, we had that fire in us and we just came out with the same mentality, as if we were playing Edison today.”
Dunn, whose kickoff return to start the second half in last season’s Southern Division title game gave the Comanches their first points in the 31-21 victory against Brea Olinda, scored three consecutive touchdowns after Josh Tarango gave Canyon a 7-0 lead with a 3-yard run with 3:25 left in the opening quarter.
Esperanza (1-3) recorded its biggest gain on the ensuing drive when Nicholas Lycett caught a 29-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Treyden Buzzone to move the Aztecs to the Canyon 44-yard line, but the drive would stall out there.
“They were running a lot and we’ve been working hard in the weight room,” Dunn said. “It all paid off today.”
The Comanches handed the ball off to running back Cole Nequette 22 times and he finished with 141 yards and the final touchdown for Canyon, a three-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter.
