ORANGE – Early in the second half Friday night, a Villa Park student roaming the sidelines lamented that the game had gotten boring.
“Yeah,” a fellow Spartan agreed, “but that’s a good thing.”
Indeed, the second half was a snoozer in the 69-0 blowout of visiting Brea Olinda, and indeed, that was an auspicious sign for the Spartans, whose 42-0 halftime lead proved to be a harbinger of a stress-free – and mostly highlight-free – second half.
Villa Park (7-0) struck early and often in the non-league matchup at El Modena High. It took just six plays to drive 51 yards and into the end zone, capped by a 25-yard run from John Stamos, who converted the ensuing 2-point conversion.
Just four plays later, Stamos was in the end zone again after smothering a punt by Brea (3-4) and scooping it up for a 23-yard touchdown return.
Barely four minutes in, the Spartans, who averaged 38.7 points per game coming in, led 15-0. The tone had been effectively set.
Villa Park punted just once in the first half. After Stamos’ second score, quarterback Nick Sipe threw the first of his five touchdown passes, finding Brennan Corbin for 16 yards.
The next one went 48 yards to senior Jake Ruiz, who not two weeks ago hauled in three touchdowns. Corbin matched that total Friday, scoring from 22 yards out and then from 48 on the first offensive play of the second half.
The Villa Park defense recorded seven sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery in posting its first shutout.
