La Habra finds a way around El Dorado

Despite having two touchdowns called back, tallying 105 yards in penalties and committing two turnovers, La Habra continued fighting in its CIF-SS Southwestern Division quarterfinal against El Dorado on Friday night at Valencia High School.

La Habra's perseverance, coupled with one too many turnovers by El Dorado, finally paid off as the Highlanders scored 16 consecutive points en route to a 23-14 victory. The Freeway League champion Highlanders (10-2), who won the Southeast Division last year before their league moved to the Southwest Division, will play Trabuco Hills in a semifinal next week.

“This is one of our most amazing wins because we had to overcome so much," La Habra coach Frank Mazzotta said. “It just reveals the tough kids we've got. They just kept battling and fighting."

After the teams battled to a 7-7 halftime tie, Billy Henley's 23-yard interception return for a touchdown on the Highlanders first possession of the second half put the Golden Hawks on top.The Highlanders answered on their next drive with a 24-yard field goal by John Rae.

El Dorado then fumbled on its next drive, giving the Highlanders possession on the Golden Hawks 41.

La Habra had two apparent touchdowns — a 41-yard run by Josh Quezada and a 24-yard run by Ronnie Hillman— called back for holding on the drive and Rae missed a 46-yard field goal try.

El Dorado (6-6) faced a third-and-long on its next drive when quarterback Kane Wilson ran for an apparent first down before fumbling. The Highlanders took over on the El Dorado 48 and scored eight plays later on a 9-yard run by quarterback Randall Nygren.

Nygren's score, which came with 2:30 left, gave La Habra its first lead at 16-14.

But El Dorado couldn't move the ball on the ensuing drive, and the Highlanders took over on downs on the Golden Hawks 23

Nygren scored again, this time on a 1-yard run to put the game away.

The contest was a rare battle between defending CIF champions, and after the game Mazzotta said the Golden Hawks were as physical as Pac-5 teams San Clemente and Los Alamitos, both of which defeated La Habra this season.

“First of all, El Dorado is very good," Mazzotta said. “All their guys are really tough."Quezada was the game's leading rusher, going for 139 yards on 23 carries.

Wilson completed eight of 17 passes for 132 yards and an interception.

After struggling earlier in the season, the 2007 Southwest Division champion Golden Hawks won their last four games of the regular season to win the Century League. They then won their opening playoff game over Huntington Beach last week.

“I'm extremely proud of my guys," El Dorado coach Jerry Bailey said. “For these guys to come back and be in this position is a testament to them."

On La Habra, Bailey said: “They're a good ball club … my hat is off to them."

Contact the writer: lponsi@ocregister.com