Canyon stops Cypress with second-half effort

ANAHEIM - Cypress, the CIF-SS champion in the Southern Division a year ago, got a rude welcome during its Southwest Division debut Friday night.

Nick Mercurio threw for two touchdowns and rushed for a third as Canyon defeated Cypress, 835-17, in a first-round game at Western High. (Full game stats.)

The Comanches (7-4) face Fullerton in the next round. Cypress ends the season 7-4.

"Even though we were on the road, we didn’t feel like underdogs," Canyon coach Brent McKee said.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair in which Cypress used quick-strike touchdowns runs of 62 and 59 yards by Akeelie Muhammad and Taylor Coe, respectively, in contrast to Canyon touchdown drives of 10, 10 and nine plays.

Canyon increased its 21-17 halftime lead on a Jared Gobert’s  43-yard touchdown run, and Mercurio sealed the victory with an 8-yard bootleg run with 6:05 remaining.

"That was his best game of the year,"McKee said of Mercurio. "We usually ask him to manage the game, not win it."

A 22-yard field goal by Shawn Hansen in the second quarter got the Centurions closer at halftime.

But after recovering an onside kick to begin the third quarter, Cypress managed only two first downs in the second half.

• Click here for full game stats and links to season totals and team rosters.

Contact the writer: preps@ocregister.com