BREA – Behind all the new energy for Villa Park, there are problems that need tending to.
Friday night’s 38-18 away win over Brea Olinda displayed so.
There was clearly more confidence from the added dose of athleticism provided by players who recently became eligible after transferring from other schools.
There was also an angry halftime speech from Spartans coach Dusan Ancich while Villa Park (5-2), which has won 37 of its last 45 games, was being outhustled at times by a Brea team with an obvious disadvantage in roster size and capabilities.
“He gave us what we deserved,” said Ramon Chaves, Villa Park’s two-way junior standout. “That was our worst first half of the season.”
The Spartans led, 22-12, at that point, and their lead that was 28-18 going into the third quarter. Ultimately, the impressive hustle displayed by the Wildcats (3-4) couldn’t overcome Villa Park’s depth.
“It’s exciting what we can do now,” Chaves said. “The transfers who came in bring us a lot to add.”
Six Villa Park players carried the ball more than five times in the first three quarters, led by Chaves’ 95 yards on 16 attempts. Quarterback Anthony Navarro, who threw for 204 yards, completed passes to six receivers.
The Spartans got a huge lift from defensive lineman Devan Illingworth, a constant thorn for Brea, plus interceptions from Korey Garcia and Lance Vecchio.
William Hanley was consistently explosive with three scores for Brea, which got interceptions from Malik Campbell and Jake McEntee.
