RANCHO CUCAMONGA – It didn’t take long to realize that Rancho Cucamonga’s speed was going to be difficult to match Friday night in the nonleague season opener for Trabuco Hills.
The Cougars got five touchdowns and more than 200 yards rushing from running backs Aaron Manning and Jaylon Redd as Rancho Cucamonga defeated the Mustangs, 45-10, at Los Osos High.
Manning’s 23-yard scoring run midway through the first quarter gave Rancho Cucamonga a 7-0 lead and the Cougars never trailed.
Manning scored twice more in the second quarter. The first came on a 30-yard pass from Angel Matute, and he followed with a 3-yard TD run that gave the Cougars a 28-3 lead with 2:40 to play in the half.
Chad Crosbie gave the Mustangs some hope when he sprinted for a 20-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 28-10.
Rancho Cucamonga’s defense, though, held Trabuco Hills scoreless in the second half, and the fourth quarter was played with a running clock.
“They are a really good football team and were able to do whatever they wanted to offensively,” Mustangs coach Joe Silvey said. “We could not stop their running game and on offense, we couldn’t establish our own running game.”
Crosbie gained 73 yards on 18 carries, despite being held to no gain on six of those carries, and minus yards on three others.
Redd led all rushers with 126 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries for Rancho Cucamonga. Manning finished with 78 yards rushing and 33 receiving.
“We had a really big advantage in speed at running back and when we got the stop on their first possession, it really set the tone for the game,” Cougars coach Nick Baiz said. “They are well-coached and have a culture of winning, so we’re very happy with this win.“
