ANAHEIM – Pico Rivera El Rancho exploded for five touchdowns in the second quarter to take control and cruise to a 47-14 nonleague victory over Katella on Friday night at Glover Stadium.
After sputtering in the first quarter, the Dons (3-2) erupted for five touchdowns in the final eight minutes of the half to open a 34-7 lead at intermission.
The Dons struggled to get on track in the first quarter but quickly turned the tide of the game early in the second quarter, scoring on each of their five possessions.
Early in the second quarter, Isaiah Copado scored on a 4-yard touchdown run but El Rancho missed the PAT and trailed, 7-6. Andrew Caraballo returned a punt 49 yards for a touchdown to give the Dons a 13-7 lead. Moments later, quarterback Andrew Perea completed a 31-yard touchdown pass to Adrian Pop for a 20-7 lead.
The Dons’ scoring surge continued as Copado added a 5-yard touchdown run and Perea added a 1-yard touchdown run as El Rancho started to dominate.
Perea scored on touchdowns runs of 43 and 14 yards in the third quarter and El Rancho extended its lead to 47-7 after three quarters. Perea finished with three touchdowns rushing and passed for 197 yards and one TD.
“Once we bought in we started to click on all cylinders,” Perea said. “This gives us momentum heading into league play.”
Katella struggled to get its offense in gear after Ricardo Armenta gave the Knights (2-3) a 7-0 lead with a 1-yard touchdown run to cap an 11-play, 68-yard drive midway through the opening quarter.
The Knights had two excellent scoring opportunities later in the quarter as they started two drives inside the Dons’ 35-yard line, but the Knights went three-and-out both times.
Fred Macias led the Knights with 117 yards rushing.
“They were good on defense and we had no pass attack tonight, it was disappointing,” Katella coach Fred DiPalma said.
“We gave up big plays and I think we lost our composure.”
Friday’s game was the first between the two schools in each other’s history.
