La Habra rallies, then holds off Trabuco Hills

LA HABRA - La Habra’s football team has a motto that addresses not giving up on plays.

“We always say,” defensive coordinator Tony Porter said, “make them snap the ball again.”

Cornerback David Acevedo  and La Habra certainly followed the spirit of those words against visiting Trabuco Hills on Saturday night and were rewarded with a 27-22 victory in a high-octane Southwest Division semifinal that was decided in the final minute.

In a game that featured a combined 944 yards of offense, the Highlanders (11-2) trailed 16-14 late in the third when Acevedo saved an apparent long touchdown pass by forcing a fumble that Corey Spada recovered at La Habra’s 1-yard line.

La Habra’s running game then kicked into high gear and the Highlanders added another defensive stand in the fourth to hold off the Mustangs (8-5).

The Highlanders play Tustin in the final Saturday at Angel Stadium at 2 p.m.

La Habra defensive end Jake Peppard helped seal the victory with a tackle for no gain on a fourth-and-1 at the Mustangs’ 46 with 2:28 left in the fourth.

The Highlanders ran out the rest of the clock. Punter John Rae applied the finishing touch by surprising Trabuco Hills with an 18-yard run for a first down with 46 seconds left. Porter said Rae called his own number on the fourth-down fake.

But it was Acevedo’s hustle that had the Highlanders’ buzzing after reaching their second consecutive section final.

“That was the biggest play,” Porter said.

Late in the third quarter, La Habra had just trimmed Trabuco Hills’ lead to 16-14 on an electric 54-yard touchdown run by Ronnie Hillman, who cut back across the field.

On the Mustangs’ next play, quarterback JJ Mayer used a nice pump fake before connecting with wide out Justen Lasch, who was free with the ball near his 40. At about the Highlanders’ 40, Lasch shook off a tackle and seemed headed for the end zone when he was brought down from behind by Acevedo at the 1.

“That’s what La Habra football is all about,” Peppard said. “We were just chasing (that play). We don't give up.”

Trabuco Hills coach Jason Negro thought that Lasch was down before the ball popped free.

“I sure hope that was a fumble," Negro said. "They (La Habra) have a great program.”

After the fumble, the Highlanders drove 99 yards on nine plays for quarterback Randall Nygren’s1-yard touchdown run, which gave the Highlanders their first lead, 21-16, on the first play of the fourth.

Still, Trabuco Hills took a 22-21 lead on its next possession as running back Shane DeCillo (190 yards) capped an 80-yard drive with 4-yard touchdown dive with 8:19 left.

The Mustangs’ 2-point conversion failed. La Habra then drove 64 yards on seven plays for running back Joshua Quezada’s go-ahead 5-yard touchdown run with 4:14 left.

The Mustangs held on Quezada’s run on the conversion.

Quezada finished with 207 yards as the Highlanders compiled 475 yards.

Trabuco Hills finished with 469 but settled for field goals on three trips inside the Highlanders’ 15-yard line. "That hurt us," Negro said.

Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com