Tustin's running attack too much for Pacifica

GARDEN GROVE - Tustin used a relentless running attack and an opportunistic defense to roll past Pacifica, 49-21, in a second-round game of the CIF-SS Southwest Division playoffs at Bolsa Grande High on Friday night.

Anthony Wilkerson rushed for four touchdowns and caught another to pace a Tillers attack that featured 480 yards of total offense.

Dakota Lambert rushed for 105 yards and a TD. He also picked off a pass to lead a defense that recorded three interceptions and three sacks.

“I think they had a really tough time stopping our offense because we have so many weapons,” Wilkerson said. “Then it was just up to the defense to get some stops, and they did a real job good, especially in the first half.”

Tustin (8-4) will advance to the semifinals for the sixth time in 14 years and will play Century league foe Canyon, a team the Tillers beat, 42-13, earlier this season.

Tustin needed just 1:48 and four plays to score. Lambert’s 32-yard scamper after a Pacifica (6-6) personal foul set up Wilkerson’s 11-yard score for an early 7-0 lead.

Wilkerson fumbled on the next series but made up for it with a 39-yard touchdown run to the outside with 6:52 left in the first half. Lambert added a 40-yard score on second-and-20 to go up, 20-0, at the half.

Pacifica eventually showed flashes of the offense that last week upset top-ranked Foothill. Raymond Huizar connected on third-quarter touchdown passes to Joel Willis and Josh Brannon. He hit Willis from 20 yards out and dumped a screen pass off to Brannon who took it 54 yards to the end zone.

But Tustin answered each score with one of its own.

Wilkerson added scores of 81 and 8 yards that deflated the Mariners. Then he caught a 50-yard play-action pass from Taylor Richardson with 2:52 left in the third quarter to put the game out of reach. The junior tailback finished with 201 yards rushing and 77 yards receiving. Ameer Webb  took a handoff 16 yards for a score following an Antonio Mendoza interception for Tustin’s fourth touchdown of the quarter to go up, 49-14.

Huizar, who finished with 209 yards passing, threw his third touchdown of the night from 5 yards out to Clay Leonard with 6:38 left in the game.

Brannon, who went into the game as the second-leading rusher in the county, was held to 53 yards in the first half and 151 yards for the game.

Tustin converted two second-half interceptions into scores. Denzale Stewart finished with two sacks for Tustin.

Contact the writer: preps@ocregister.com