Cypress edges Yorba Linda, knots Empire

ANAHEIM – Yorba Linda had more than twice as many yards of total offense as Cypress did, and had more than twice as many first downs.

Cypress did have more points.

Cypress beat Yorba Linda, 14-10, in an Empire League game Thursday at Western High, Cypress' home field. It was Yorba Linda's first loss of the season, and created a three-way tie for first place in the league.

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OCVarsity Hot Shots: Thursday's game action

OCVarsity Fandemonium from Thursday's games

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Cypress, Tustin (which has a bye this week) and Yorba Linda will take 4-1 league records into next week, the final week of the regular season.

Yorba Linda (8-1 overall) will play host to Kennedy next Thursday. Tustin is at Western next Friday, and Cypress (7-2 overall) plays Pacifica at Garden Grove High next Friday.

If Cypress, Tustin and Yorba Linda win next week, then a coin flip would determine the order of playoff representation in the league, as head-to-head competition among the three cannot untangle the trio (Tustin beat Cypress, Yorba Linda beat Tustin, and Cypress beat Yorba Linda).

Yorba Linda on Thursday had 280 yards of total offense to Cypress' 107, and had 14 first downs to the Centurions' six.

But Cypress made a couple of big plays in the first half on offense, including a touchdown on the Centurions' only pass completion of the game, and came up with a number of crucial stops in the second half on defense.

The Mustangs' final possession of the game with 4:46 remaining had them at their 35-yard yard line. They maneuvered to the Cypress 29 and had first down there.

Paul Najarian's 31st and final carry of the game produced 4 yards (giving him 132), a pass from Alex Bernstein to Nate Klinkenberg yielded only 1 yard because of a great tackle by Vincent "Bug" Rivera, a pass to Shad Pace was good for only 2 yards because of Landon Manser's excellent tackle, and a fourth-down pass was broken up by Cypress' Bobby Thompson.

Cypress got first-half touchdowns on a 4-yard run by Rivera, who rushed for 61 yards, 33 fewer than his average, and on a 25-yard pass from Austin to Jake Brito.

Yorba Linda scored on a second-quarter field goal by Matt Barr and on a third-down touchdown run of 4 yards by Najarian.

The field goal finished an 18-play drive by Yorba Linda and made it 7-3.

Cypress came right back on the touchdown pass from Austin to Brito to push its lead to 14-3.

The Najarian touchdown in the third quarter was the only scoring of the second half.

A key play in the game was Cypress' second and final first down of the second half. On fourth-and-1 at the Cypress 31, the Centurtions decided to go for the first down and got it on a 2-yard run by Austin.

That enabled the Centurions to run down the clock some more and eventually leave Yorba Linda only 4:46 to make that final drive.

Cypress coach Michael Cobleigh praised his team's defense.

"Buggy (Rivera) didn't get a whole lot," Cobleigh said. "We're kind of young up front, and I think it showed. But it's good to win a game like that."

Yorba Linda quarterback Alex Bernstein completed 16 of 23 passes for 146 yards.