LA HABRA – La Habra always packs its nonleague schedule with superior opponents.
So when the Highlanders get defeated early by some of the area’s top teams, Coach Frank Mazzotta is usually confident his team will be ready once league play starts.
But after La Mirada rolled up more than 400 yards of offense in a 45-28 victory over the Highlanders on Friday night at La Habra, Mazzotta appeared genuinely concerned.
“We’re just not very good right now,” Mazzotta said. “We’re just young, but I hate saying it all the time. I hate using it as an excuse. There are just a lot of things that aren’t us.”
The Highanders (1-3) have given up 145 points in their three losses and Mazzotta said it won’t get any easier in their final nonleague game vs. Colony of Ontario.
La Habra had no answer for La Mirada quarterback Christian Lara, who completed 16 of 19 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns.
The Highlanders also did themselves in with costly penalties.
La Mirada (3-1) faced a third-and-7 from the La Habra 37 when an 8-yard gain combined with a pair of dead-ball personal fouls on the Highlanders gave the Matadores a first-and-goal from the 6.
Lara scored on a 1-yard run two plays later to give La Mirada a 21-7 halftime lead.
Then came a wild third quarter in which the teams scored three touchdowns each.
Carlos Martin’s 15-yard touchdown run on the first possession appeared to give the Highlanders some momentum.
But seconds later, a 32-yard touchdown pass from Lara to Tony Brown pushed the lead back to two touchdowns.
The rest of the quarter played out the same way.
La Habra would score to draw within a touchdown, only to have La Mirada answer with a score of its own.
Contact the writer: lponsi@ocregister.com
