Heaney Shifts Balance of Power

Trabuco Hills senior Brandon Heaney, a first-team all-league wide receiver last season, showed Thursday he’s not too shabby at quarterback either.

Heaney threw two touchdown passes to Advon Chestnut and ran for another to help Trabuco Hills defeat Villa Park, 28-12, in a nonleague game at El Modena High.

Heaney, the starting quarterback this year, completed 11 of 17 passes for 125 yards and also rushed for 67 yards in six carries, including a 60-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter.

But Heaney’s passing gave Trabuco Hills (2-1) the balance it needed so Villa Park (1-2) couldn’t gang up on Mustang running back Al Gandall.

Gandall, who had 196 yards rushing coming into Thursday’s game, flourished in the balanced attack. Gandall gained 172 yards in 24 carries and also scored on a 28-yard run.

Gandall’s touchdown with 1 minute 57 seconds remaining in the first quarter erased a 6-0 deficit and opened a scoring binge. The Mustangs scored two more touchdowns in the next 3:01 to take control.

Following Heaney’s scoring run, Trabuco Hills linebacker Dustin Pratt recovered a fumble at the Villa Park eight. Two plays later, Heaney tossed a nine-yard touchdown pass to Chestnut, who caught six passes for 70 yards.

Heaney also connected with Chestnut on a fade route that went for a 25-yard touchdown pass, converting a fourth-and-seven with 3:25 remaining in the third quarter to make it, 28-6.

“I just throw it up and let him go get it,” Heaney said. “Learning to play quarterback has been hard at times, trying to get all the fundamentals down, the timing, techniques. But tonight, we were rolling out a lot, completed some passes. . . . I love this.”

Although Villa Park’s Dache Dameron rushed for 141 yards in 23 carries and teammate Dallas Dapper rushed for 55 yards in 12 carries, the Spartans managed only 17 yards passing and couldn’t consistently move the ball.

Villa Park closed to within 28-12 with 8:42 remaining on Dameron’s second touchdown run, but Gandall carried six consecutive times to help the Mustangs keep the ball for about five minutes and secure the victory.