PREP EXTRA / SATURDAY FOOTBALL PULLOUT : ORANGE LEAGUE : 62-Yard Miss Leaves Western Tied

BREA —  David Bell’s 62-yard field goal attempt with three seconds left in the game was long enough, but it sailed three feet wide and Western had to settle for a 15-15 tie with Brea-Olinda in an Orange League opener Friday night.

Bell, who would have broken Phil Nevin’s six-year-old field-goal record of 57 yards, had tied the game when he caught a pass from Dean Chambers for a two-point conversion with 1:04 remaining. The Pioneers then recovered an on-sides kick at midfield, setting up the final field-goal attempt.

Both teams will look back at several missed opportunities, particularly Brea, which misfired on both its extra-point attempts and also was stopped on three consecutive plays inside the Pioneer one-yard line just before halftime.

Western (5-0-1, 0-0-1), meanwhile, had a 63-yard touchdown run on the opening series of the game called back because of a penalty and later was called for roughing the passer after intercepting a fourth-down pass.

The penalty gave the Wildcats first and goal at the nine and three plays later, Tommy Prenovost kicked a 22-yard field goal, giving Brea a 9-7 lead midway through the second quarter.

Brea (4-1-1, 0-0-1) increased its lead to 15-8 with 1:07 left in the third quarter when Prenovost came off the bench and hit Jacob Freeze on a 30-yard touchdown pass.

The Wildcats then tried running out the clock behind Jerome Owens, who finished with 107 yards in 23 carries. But Western got a boost when a 13-yard punt gave them the ball at Brea’s 48 with 2:43 left in the game.

Pioneer quarterback Chambers broke out of the pocket for a 26-yard run to the 16 and on the next play, he hit Justin Starkey on a 16-yard touchdown pass with 1:07 remaining.

Western then got even when Chambers rolled right and hit Bell for the two-point conversion.