FULLERTON – Jeremiah Hawkins rushed for one touchdown, caught a pass for another and returned a kickoff for a score to lead Buena Park to a 47-24 victory over Fullerton in a Freeway League game Friday night at Fullerton High.
The Coyotes (5-1, 1-0), who have averaged 43 points per game in their past four games, scored three touchdowns in the second quarter to break open a close game and go on to notch their fourth consecutive victory.
On the ensuing kickoff following a first-quarter Fullerton touchdown, Hawkins promptly raced 72 yards for a touchdown to tie the score at 7.
“The hard work at the 6 a.m. practices is paying off,” said Hawkins, who scored a career-high three TDs. “It’s was a wonderful achievement but it would be impossible without the outstanding blocking by my linemen.”
Despite running just nine plays in the second quarter, Zach Taylor threw three TD passes in the quarter and propelled Buena Park to a 27-10 halftime lead.
With the score tied at 7-7 early in the second quarter, Elijah Gates hauled in a fingertip grab over the middle from Taylor and rumbled into the end zone for a 29-yard TD reception.
One play after a punt by Fullerton (4-2, 0-1), Taylor found Hawkins wide open and completed a 41-yard touchdown pass. After stopping another Indians drive later in the quarter, Taylor completed a short pass to Elijah Bynum, who weaved and broke several tackles before outrunning the Fullerton secondary en route to an 88-yard touchdown.
Taylor completed 13 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 81 yards, including a 31-yard TD run in the final quarter.
Bynum rushed for 155 yards and scored two TDs.
Buena Park added two more touchdowns in the third quarter and led 40-17 after three periods.
Bynum scored on a 53 run and Hawkins scored his third TD of the game on a 29-yard run. Dylan Nicholson also retuned a kickoff 62 yards for a score for Fullerton in the quarter.
Ryan Rains led Fullerton with 101 yards rushing and a first-quarter touchdown.
