BUENA PARK – During their reign on top of the Freeway League, Frank Mazzotta and his La Habra football team have taken and withstood everybody’s best shot year after year. Friday night, the Highlanders again showed their championship mettle when the moment presented itself.
La Habra fought off a determined and focused Buena Park squad to survive the first step on the way to a possible 13th consecutive title with a hard-fought 42-35 road victory over Buena Park.
“That’s how they’ve all been,” Mazzotta said.
The Highlanders (3-3, 1-0) haven’t lost a league game since 2006. Their consecutive league streak is up to 36 games. They have won or shared the previous seven consecutive league titles and 13 of the last 15.
“The climb is one thing,” Mazzotta said. “But being on top, you’re getting everybody’s best shot … every week you know it is coming because you’re the guy on top. That has been difficult, but I have to give credit to the coaches and the kids because they’re the ones that have to do it.”
After a back-and-forth first half, the Highlanders thought they had some distance thanks to pair of Carlos Martin touchdowns (4, 3 yards) in the second half that made it 42-28 with 5:07 left.
But the Coyotes (5-1, 0-1) weren’t about to go away that easy. Quarterback Zach Taylor hooked up with Jaylinn Hawkins for a 20-yard touchdown, cutting the score 42-35 with 53 seconds left.
The Highlanders and Mazzotta were finally able to exhale when Marcus Carrasco recovered the onside kick, allowing the offense to run out the clock.
“This week we wanted to make sure that we finished the game and not let teams get back in the game,” La Habra quarterback Eric Barriere said. “We know everybody is coming after us and end our streak.”
In a game this close, it was the small things that eventually cost the Coyotes the chance at the upset victory.
“They do a great job,” Buena Park coach Anthony White said of La Habra. “You have to play mistake-free football.”
In the first half, the Highlanders capitalized on those situations with a 74-touchdown run from Martin and a 93-yard touchdown pass from Barriere to Cortlin Taylor.
“We never felt out of the game,” White said. “We felt like we could play with them. Our preparation and attitude and effort was great throughout the game.”
Carlos Martin led the Highlanders with 155 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
The game took on a classic feel early as the teams alternated touchdowns through midway to the second quarter. La Habra led 28-14 on the pass from Barriere to Taylor, but early in the third quarter, Taylor got the Coyotes even on his 8-yard touchdown.
“You had two good football teams battling and we were able to come out on top,” Mazzotta said. “It was a great high school football and we’ve had a few of them with Buena Park in the last couple of years.”
Contact the writer: dcalhoun@ocregister.com
