Anaheim Sticks to Ground in Gunning Down Western

ANAHEIM —  Senior Robert Jones rushed for a season-high 229 yards in 23 carries to lead Anaheim High School to a 17-0 victory over Western in an Orange League game Thursday at Western High.

Jones was the front man in an Anaheim ground game that piled up 344 yards and two touchdowns.

Anaheim’s first score was all Jones and the offensive line.

Gil Brito’s 39-yard punt pinned Anaheim on its five-yard line with about seven minutes left in the first quarter.

On the first play, Jones broke a dive play for 23 yards. He followed that by dashing through a sizable hole, cutting into the open toward the left sidelines and finishing off a 72-yard scoring run.

Jones had 148 yards rushing in the first half.

“We might have come of age as a football team tonight,” Anaheim Coach Raul Victores said. “We eliminated the mental mistakes that have hurt us.”

Anaheim only called five pass plays--two resulted in sacks, two were incomplete and the other was a screen pass that went for 12 yards.

Anaheim (3-4, 1-1 in league play) scored 10 points in the third quarter to put the game out of reach.

Julio Langarcia kicked a 22-yard field goal midway through the third to give Anaheim a 10-0 lead. The kick capped a 12-play, 80-yard drive that took nearly seven minutes.

The final touchdown came on a seven-yard blast by Brian Diaz with 1 minute 50 seconds left in the quarter.

The score was set up when James Parson, a 6-foot-3 defensive end, reached high to intercept a screen pass from Pioneer quarterback Brito at the Western 24.

Western’s offense struggled, totaling only 127 yards. Brito, who also plays tailback, was four of 22 for 34 yards with two interceptions. In Brito’s defense, Western receivers dropped five very catchable passes.