ANAHEIM – Anaheim rode on the momentum of 175 rushing yards and two turnovers in the second half to defeat Century, 21-7, in an Orange League opener at Glover Stadium on Thursday night.
A 41-yard run from Joel Montes de Oca gave the Colonists (3-3, 1-0) the lead for the first time (14-7) 4:06 into the second half, putting an end to a five-play, 65-yard march that lasted 1:12.
Montes de Oca ran nine times for 83 yards, tied for the team lead with Kevin Montoya, who had 83 yards on 12 rushes.
Anaheim tied the score at 7-7 on its last drive of the first half after Brandon Lopez connected with junior Raymond Serna on a 32-yard pass 19 seconds before the break.
Lopez completed 4 of 8 passes for 79 yards.
The Centurions (2-4, 0-1) converted on 3rd and 4th down to set up their lone score of the game. Ruben Triscareño’s 2-yard rush put the Centurions (2-4, 0-1) ahead, 7-0, with 51 seconds remaining in the first quarter, concluding an 11-play, 80-yard drive that lasted 4:29. Triscareño took the ball on seven of the plays in the drive and finished with 54 yards on 10 carries.
Lopez’s run from a yard out increased the Colonists’ lead to 14 points 4:17 into the fourth quarter, capping a 15-play drive that covered 69 yards.
With Century attempting to trim Anaheim’s deficit on the Colonists 45, Jorge Diaz picked off a Fernando Cambray pass on the Anaheim 20 with 3:05 left in the game.
Anaheim stopped another scoring threat with less than two minutes to play in the third after recovering a fumble off a failed double reverse from the Centurions.
The Colonists have now beaten Century in four of the last five meetings, and will take on Magnolia at Western High School on Oct. 15.
Century will look for its first league victory when it hosts Santa Ana Valley on Oct. 16.
