YORBA LINDA – A reversal of fortune can be an exciting thing.
Yorba Linda running back Jonah Slack did his best to thrill the hometown crowd as this scenario played out.
Slack rushed for 157 yards and scored four total touchdowns in the host Mustangs’ 41-7 victory over Sonora in a nonleague game Thursday night.
Yorba Linda improved to 3-0. It was 0-3 to start last season, which included a loss to Sonora.
“The exciting thing is that we’re 3-0 now,” Slack said. “I’m just overwhelmed with joy about how my team got here today.”
Yorba Linda scored points on each of its first four drives. Slack was the focal point, as he fearlessly ran between the tackles for 104 yards in the first quarter.
Joseph Thompson, Drew Dahlson, Bryce Johnson, Alec Arce and Troy Stiefel provided the blocking up front.
Slack opened the scoring on a 25-yard slip-screen catch and run just 1:39 into the game.
A shutdown defense set the Mustangs up with good field position repeatedly. Slack scored on a 4-yard run after Nick Langseth pounced on a fumbled kickoff at the Sonora 9.
Sonora (0-4) picked up a first down on its opening drive, but it did not move the chains for the rest of the half. Jacob Denissen, Noah Lines and Matt Frengel led Yorba Linda’s defense.
The Mustangs began seven drives on the Sonora side of the field. An interception by Lines was responsible for one of those, and Luke Lassalle recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown.
“It’s huge to help our offense out and put them in great field position,” Denissen said. “(That) makes it easier for them to score.”
Ryan Martinez had a 1-yard touchdown for Sonora.
