Huntington Beach overcomes 20-point deficit to beat Westminster
Huntington Beach overcomes 20-point deficit to beat Westminster
October 04, 2008 3:00 AM
OCVarsity.com
:
Huntington Beach vs. Westminster
Huntington Beach vs. Westminster
HUNTINGTON BEACH - Huntington Beach talked about belief. But the atmosphere at Ocean View High on Saturday was closer to jubilant disbelief.
Westminster trampled the Oilers early, scoring the first 20 points of the game, then taking a 19-point lead in the third quarter.
Huntington responded with four unanswered touchdowns in the game’s final 20 minutes, emerging with a 36-26 victory.
“Our coach always tells us about effort,” Oilers senior linebacker James Neil said of his coach, Eric Lo. “He makes us feel like we have a chance in every game.”
Huntington junior quarterback Sean Guite had a messy first half, completing 7 of 22 passes and throwing two interceptions. Yet, he misfired on only three second-half passes, finishing 20 of 38 for 228 yards and four touchdowns to lead the comeback.
“You’ve got to relax and sit in the pocket and make good throws,” Guite said.
The Oilers took their first lead, 27-26, with 3:31 remaining, on an 11-yard strike from Guite to Dylan Simmons.
Two plays later, after a successful two-point conversion, Neil intercepted a Kenny Chapple pass to set up the game-sealing score.
Westminster’s Aaron Garbutt scored three touchdowns, with a run, a pass and an interception return, and he also recorded a sack.
He rushed for 118 yards on 18 carries but gained 32 of his 45 second-half yards on the Lions’ lone touchdown of the half.
“They’re huge up-front, and Twenty-One (Garbutt) is a big-time player,” Lo said. “They out-physicaled us in the first half, and we were able to come out in the second half and not let that be a factor.”
Lions coach Ted McMillen had an explanation.
“It was real simple,” he said. “We thought the game was over at 26-7.
“They sure played hard, and we weren’t playing very hard.”
Click here for full game stats.
Westminster trampled the Oilers early, scoring the first 20 points of the game, then taking a 19-point lead in the third quarter.
Huntington responded with four unanswered touchdowns in the game’s final 20 minutes, emerging with a 36-26 victory.
“Our coach always tells us about effort,” Oilers senior linebacker James Neil said of his coach, Eric Lo. “He makes us feel like we have a chance in every game.”
Huntington junior quarterback Sean Guite had a messy first half, completing 7 of 22 passes and throwing two interceptions. Yet, he misfired on only three second-half passes, finishing 20 of 38 for 228 yards and four touchdowns to lead the comeback.
“You’ve got to relax and sit in the pocket and make good throws,” Guite said.
The Oilers took their first lead, 27-26, with 3:31 remaining, on an 11-yard strike from Guite to Dylan Simmons.
Two plays later, after a successful two-point conversion, Neil intercepted a Kenny Chapple pass to set up the game-sealing score.
Westminster’s Aaron Garbutt scored three touchdowns, with a run, a pass and an interception return, and he also recorded a sack.
He rushed for 118 yards on 18 carries but gained 32 of his 45 second-half yards on the Lions’ lone touchdown of the half.
“They’re huge up-front, and Twenty-One (Garbutt) is a big-time player,” Lo said. “They out-physicaled us in the first half, and we were able to come out in the second half and not let that be a factor.”
Lions coach Ted McMillen had an explanation.
“It was real simple,” he said. “We thought the game was over at 26-7.
“They sure played hard, and we weren’t playing very hard.”
Click here for full game stats.
Contact the writer: jkay@ocregister.com
