ORANGE – Buena Park unveiled its new spread offense Thursday night and the results left their coach stunned.
Quarterback Zach Taylor threw for 441 yards and receiver Jaylinn Hawkins collected eight receptions for 294 yards and four touchdowns as the visiting Coyotes sprinted past Orange, 65-0, in the teams’ season opener at El Modena High.
Taylor, a transfer from St. John Bosco, completed 16 of 20 passes and also rushed for two touchdowns.
Hawkins showed his speed with touchdown receptions of 63, 40, 62 and 59 yards in the first half.
Buena Park featured four- and five-receiver formations in its “spread pistol” and finished with 571 yards of offense despite playing without starting running back Mat Sifuentes (thigh).
“Oh my goodness,” Buena Park coach Anthony White said. “It’s exactly what we want this offense to do, be high scoring and spread the ball around and let everyone have fun. That’s what football is about now.
“It’s new-age football.”
Hawkins appeared on pace to set the Orange County record for receiving yards in a game, but he and Taylor didn’t play in the fourth quarter. Hawkins, a senior, had seven receptions for 277 yards at halftime. He praised his junior quarterback, who is running the offense of first-year coordinator Jude Oliva.
“Zach had great connections with all our receivers, not just me,” Hawkins said. “(He’s) confident. Trustworthy. After practices, I’m catching 100 balls. … That carries on and does this on the field.”
Ramon Navarez set the county record for receiving yards with 357 in 1996 for Bolsa Grande.
Hawkins’ first touchdown pass came on a quick out that he turned up field for a 63-yard score with 1:17 left in the first quarter. In the second, he used a stiff arm to turn another short pass into a 40-yard touchdown.
Taylor caught him in stride in a stride on a deep pass for a 62-yard touchdown strike with 5:07 left in the first half.
“He’s legit,” Orange coach Randy Thompson said of Hawkins, who has multiple Pac-12 offers. “Quickness. Hands. He’s definitely a player to look to go Division I-A.”
Buena Park’s defense also impressed. Defensive tackle Keven Dixon — another Pac-12 recruit — scored the Coyotes’ second touchdown by catching his own deflection on a pass and returning it 9 yards for a TD as Buena Park opened a 14-0 lead 8:54 left in the first quarter.
“We’ll never hear the end of that,” White joked of Dixon’s TD.
Buena Park’s Siope Folau and Mark Vargas also combined for a safety in the first half while sophomore defensive end Cedric Dashiell II added a sack.
The Coyotes’ defense also forced five turnovers, leading to 28 points. Buena Park limited Orange — with only seven returning seniors — to 84 totals yards.
Orange juniors Alec Castillo and Dion Perinon also recorded sacks.
“I don’t care what we do (record-wise) in preseason as long as we learn and get better,” Thompson said.
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
