HUNTINGTON BEACH – Edward Vander’s first half helped deliver the knockout blow for the fourth-ranked JSerra football team.
Vander scored four touchdowns and rushed for 219 yards in the first half to help the Lions take control of Friday’s nonleague game en route to a 63-17 victory over Huntington Beach at Huntington Beach High.
JSerra (3-0), averaging 49 points a game this season, scored on five of its six possessions in the first half. Vander’s four touchdowns came on runs of 3, 3, 6 and 72 yards. The Lions led 42-3 at halftime.
“Overall, I thought it was a good showing,” JSerra coach Jim Hartigan said. “We’re going to need it next week when we play St. Bonaventure (of Ventura). I was looking for us to show some overall improvement and I saw it tonight.”
Vander, a Paramount transfer, added another touchdown in the third quarter against the Oilers (0-3). He would finish with 218 yards and five touchdowns. He carried the ball just two times in the second half.
“Last week, they really came after our run game and there wasn’t a lot there and we had to put the ball on the perimeter,” Hartigan said. “This week, we were hoping to get him going and we challenged him during the week.
Vander rushed for just 15 yards in last week’s victory over Chino Hills. He eclipsed that total on his first carry of the game Friday.
“He found some good holes (in the defense), got his shoulders square and ran tough and he was able to get the ball to out on the perimeter and down the sideline,” Hartigan said. “He’s a guy we’re going to need in the future. He’s a power back with speed.”
The Lions also scored two defensive touchdowns, with Sam Philippi returning an interception 40 yards for a score in the second quarter and Conor O’Brien returning a fumble 42 yards for another score in the third quarter.
“We pressured them (Huntington Beach) a little bit and sometimes when you pressure, good things happen,” Hartigan said. “Our guys played hard and had some opportunities with the fumble and interception.”
The Lions have won three straight against the Oilers.They defeated them, 49-31, last year and 20-13 in 2012.
Hunter Simmons had the Oilers’ first touchdown, a 3-yard run in the third.
The Lions will host St. Bonaventure next week at Saddleback College. The Oilers will host Moorpark.
Contact the writer: dcalhoun@ocregister.com
