Orange Lutheran wins thriller vs. La Habra

ANAHEIM - La Habra again showed it belonged.

Orange Lutheran showed it deserved to be ranked higher.

Defensive end Matt Truckey forced a fumble near his 35-yard line with 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter as Orange Lutheran’s defense sealed a 21-17 victory against La Habra in a thrilling season-opening game at Glover Stadium.

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No. 6 Orange Lutheran opened a two-touchdown lead early in the second quarter, but the two teams traded blows after that. The fumble ended No. 5 La Habra’s final chance, but on its previous possession, the Highlanders failed to score after earning a first-and-goal at the Lancers’ 6.

Orange Lutheran’s defense bent but when it mattered, it held its ground as the Highlanders tried to overcome a late injury to quarterback Cody Clements.

“We just wanted to go out and show everybody what we could do,” said Truckey, who also had a sack. “We knew we could do it.”

Thanks to its defense, La Habra got the ball back for the final time with 52 seconds left. Clements left because of a knee injury on the previous possession but returned for the first-down play on his 40. But after two plays, he was again out and replaced by senior Matt Yackey. 

On a fourth-and-2 from the Lancers’ 37, Truckey stripped the ball free from a scrambling Yackey. Linebacker Tanner Ford recovered the ball to clinch the victory.

La Habra’s best chance to score was on its previous possession. After quarterback Clark Livingston blasted a 58-yard punt to drive La Habra back to its 20, the Highlanders took the ball with 9:15 left.

Trailing 21-17, Clements drove the Highlanders to the Lancers’ 6 with under 5 minutes left.

An illegal procedure penalty on first down hurt the Highlanders but the big blow came on third-and-goal from the 15.

As Truckey pressured Clements behind the line of scrimmage, the Washington State commit slipped and fell on the grass. Truckey recorded the sack and the Lancers made another stop on fourth down to preserve the lead.

“The defense kept playing hard,” Orange Lutheran coach Jim Kunau said. "I hope Cody Clements is OK."

For La Habra, the game was another opportunity to beat a county powerhouse. The three-time defending middle-division CIF champions played Los Alamitos six times since the start of the 2002 season. Some of those games were close, but the Highlanders went 0-6.

“I don’t want to (show we) belong,” La Habra coach Frank Mazzotta said. “I want to win.”

Orange Lutheran led 14-10 at halftime and scored first in the third quarterback. Running back Jabari Wilson capped the Lancers’ opening possession of the second half with a 1-yard run, giving Orange Lutheran a 21-10 lead with 4:34 left in the third.

Livingston directed the 62-yard scoring drive, converting a fourth-and-2 along the way.

La Habra responded early in the fourth on a 2-yard TD pass from Clements to wideout Mark Yackey. The connection two plays into the fourth period capped an 81-yard scoring drive.

Orange Lutheran started the game fast. The Lancers opened the first quarter with a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive that lasted 4:20. Orange Lutheran featured a few option runs on the drive, including Wilson’s 9-yard scoring run.

The Lancers established an early theme on their second drive. Behind a young but huge offensive line, they used more option run plays en route to a 74-yard scoring drive that chewed up 7:15.

Quarterback Mike Markovsky capped the drive on the second play of the second quarter by scoring scored on a 2-yard option run on a third-and-goal as Orange Lutheran opened a 14-0 lead.

Brett Bartolone sparked the Highlanders on the ensuing possession. After a 44-yard kickoff return by Mike Sparling, Bartolone broke a 40-yard run, which set up a 24-yard field goal by Sean Wale to make it 14-3.

Turnovers played a major factor as the teams grinded toward halftime.

After La Habra’s defense showed signs of adjusting to the option and forced a punt, a 53-yard pass from Clements to Bartolone moved La Habra to the Lancers’ 31. But after St. Paul transfer running back Drake Griffin gave the Highlanders some muscle with an 11-yard burst, Orange Lutheran recovered a fumble at its 2 after a promising shovel pass play by La Habra.

But an interception by Sparling with 1:03 left in the first half gave La Habra another scoring chance.

Sparling returned his interception 41 yards to the Lancers’ 23. Clements scored on a 9-yard run up the middle 20 seconds later as La Habra cut the Lancers’ lead to 14-10.

La Habra also missed a 36-yard field goal in the second quarter, an opportunity that loomed large in the dramatic finish.

Orange Lutheran finisehd 184 yards rushing. The Lancers started senior Ryan Lefotu (6-5, 230), juniors Cody Littlefield (5-10, 235) and Jordan Briggs (6-3, 215) and sophomores Colin Sutton (6-3, 270) and John Lopez (6-5, 310). Senior standout Christian Licciardi didn't play because of a concussion.

The Lancers' offense didn't covert a late third-and-1 and it gave La Habra one more chance but Kunau was still pleased with his line.

Orange Lutheran has featured the option over the years but in 2008 and 2009, it wasn't as prevalent as it was Friday.

"Option in the first game is a (challenge)," said Mazzotta, noting the Lancers ran option from several formations.

As for La Habra, the major question will be the health of Clements. He returned the game but will have a MRI soon, Mazzotta said.

The injury arrives on top of an earlier loss of left tackle Kevin Casey (knee) for seven weeks.

Clements completed 21 of 29 passes for 248 yards. He was effective in the short-passing game, especially with several shovel passes. Bartolone finished with seven catches for 135 yards.

And while La Habra didn't collect the win it has been seeking, Mazzotta hopes the experience will help his team in the long-run. "The kids want to stretch themselves," he said before the game. "That's what it's all about."