PHOTOS: Brea Olinda earns share of Kappa League title with comeback win over Segerstrom

Nathan Aceves of Brea Olinda heads for the end zone and scores as Segerstrom’s Roman Saucedo defends. (Photos courtesy Mark Bausman, For OC Sports Zone).

Brea Olinda High School’s football team clinched at least a share of the Kappa League title and kept its perfect record going with a hard-fought 30-18 victory over Segerstrom Friday night at Segerstrom.

It’s the first league title for the Wildcats since 2021 and the 23rd in school history.

Brea Olinda (9-0, 4-0) can clinch the title outright with a win over Esperanza Friday night at home.

Segerstrom (6-3, 3-1) is headed to the CIF playoffs as the league’s No. 2 team. The Jaguars, who are tied with Esperanza for second place, wrap up league play next Friday at Garden Grove.

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Brea Olinda was led by senior quarterback Cullen Doyle, who completed 13 of 27 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Nathan Aceves rushed for 104 yards on 16 carries and receiver Isaak Rivas-Melendez hauled in three catches for 106 yards, including a 54-yard TD pass from Doyle in the second quarter to put the Wildcats ahead 14-7.

Brea Olinda took the early lead when Doyle connected with Jake Brooks on a 31-yard TD pass in the first quarter.

It was another step for the program in a turn-around season. The Wildcats were 5-6 overall and 0-3 in league play last year. The team is led by Justin Villasenor has been with the program 16 years and is in his first year as head coach.

“I think our guys played great; I couldn’t be more proud of them,” said Villasenor, who credited the team’s offensive line for the victory.

“These guys are big up front, hats off to them,” he said. “We kept telling the kids to trust what we’ve been talking about all year, hard work, discipline and playing four quarters, and that’s what they did, they trusted it to get the job done. It’s really nice as a coach to have a heavy senior class and these guys have played together for four years, they trust each other and play for each other. They got the job done.”

Segerstrom put up a battle from the start, despite missing starting quarterback Jesse Lopez, who was out with a shoulder injury. He was replaced by Louis Garcia, who had three completions for 30 yards.

“Our boys played hard all night,” said Segerstrom Coach Joseph Tagaloa. “I’m proud of the effort we put out. Obviously we were going up a little short handed tonight but our boys didn’t complain and they came out and played four quarters like we ask of them and they competed and they left it all out on the field so I’m proud of their performance.

Segerstrom was also missing a couple tackles and a fullback, Coach Tagaloa said.

“Hats off to Brea, they played hard, we just fell short tonight,” he said.

Running back Noah Tagaloa, the son of Coach Tagaloa, assumed the load for Segerstrom, rushing for a career high 233 yards on 17 carries including a 53-yard TD run in the second quarter and a 65-yard run which set up a TD.

“I didn’t realize he rushed that much,” Coach Tagaloa said. “He told me before the game, this game was special to him because he was playing against his cousin, my nephew (junior Dalton Tagaloa) so we had the whole family out here. I’m proud of him, I thought he played his heart out. He’s a great kid.”

Segerstrom’s Andrew Diaz also had a big game with touchdown runs of 11 and 3 yards to put the Jaguars ahead 18-14 early in the third quarter.

But Brea Olinda countered with 16 unanswered points on Aceves 15-yard TD run and a 28-yard field goal by Colby Thuman in the third quarter and Doyle’s 2-yard TD run on a keeper with 8:43 left in the game to seal it.

“It was a little rocky at the beginning but we have a great group of guys who know how to push through, and that’s our edge, we don’t give up and we know how to push through in the end,” Doyle said. “I’m willing to do anything for this team, whether it’s putting my body on the line (on the TD run). I think I showed that.”

Doyle said the Wildcats were excited to claim a share of the title.

“That means a lot for us, being where we were to where we are now and how we’ve pushed through adversity and I think it means a lot to us and it will mean a lot to the program as a whole and to our city,” he said.

The stands were packed on the Segerstrom side for senior night and youth cheerleaders were also in attendance. The Brea Olinda side was almost full too.

—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com