MURRIETA – Patrick Reardon found the end zone three times Friday night as Orange Lutheran defeated Vista Murrieta in blowout fashion, 37-3.
Reardon carried the ball 14 times for 152 yards in the win.
It was the second-largest home loss in Vista Murrieta history.
“This was a great win to go into league on,” Reardon said. “We were really able to feed off of each other tonight.”
Vista Murrieta gained the early advantage, putting together an impressive 14-play scoring drive on its opening possession.
The Broncos converted on third- and fourth-down plays on the 56-yard drive, both with passes to Jamie Nunley, and it was capped by a 34-yard field goal from Kane Page.
Orange Lutheran answered a little over five minutes later with a 91-yard drive, capitalizing on two costly Vista Murrieta penalties and finishing with a trick play.
On a well-executed flea-flicker, wide receiver JD Pickell found quarterback LJ Northington down the sideline for the touchdown pass.
The Lancers scored again midway through the second quarter when, on a fourth-and-7 play, Reardon broke a 52-yard touchdown run up the middle.
“It took us a little bit to get into a rhythm,” Orange Lutheran coach Chuck Petersen said. “But once we were able to understand what they we doing we were able to settle down.”
The Vista Murrieta defense prevented another score from Orange Lutheran before the half when Kevin Atkins recovered a fumble on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line.
Orange Lutheran dominated the second half, finding the end zone twice more in the third quarter and scoring a field goal in the fourth.
“We lost to a very good football team today,” Vista Murrieta coach Coley Candaele said. “They turned it up a notch and played way better than we are capable of playing at this time.”
The Broncos will no doubt look back at missed opportunities.
Vista Murrieta missed two field-goal attempts and was unable to put up points on a drive that started on its opponents’ 15-yard line after the Broncos blocked a punt deep in Lancer territory.
“We played well for 20 minutes,” Candaele said. “But unfortunately there are 48 minutes in a game.”
