PHOTOS: Sunny Hills and Fullerton league opener goes down to the wire …. again!

Sunny Hills’ Kaito Inone muscles into the end zone from 3-yards to give Lancers 14-7 lead with 2:30 to play. (Photos courtesy Jim McCormack, For OC Sports Zone).

It was déjà vu all over again.

For the second season in a row Sunny Hills High School’s football team stopped a last-minute Fullerton 2-point conversion attempt and, with a deep sigh of relief, walked away with a one-point victory over the Indians.

Friday night the final score at Buena Park High School was 14-13 in the Freeway League opener for both teams. In 2021, the final score was Lancers, 21-20, in overtime.

As one can imagine the final moments of both games were incredibly intense. In 2021, Lancer Nick Wilde scored on a 2-yard run in overtime then, after Fullerton scored to get within one, Wilde broke up the conversion pass that preserved a Lancer victory.

To see the slide show, click on the first photo:

Sunny Hills’ William Brown holds on to a pass while enduring a jarring tackle by Fullerton’s Isaiah Smith.

A host of Sunny Hills’ defenders stop Fullerton running back Deshawn Cobbs (5) a yard short of the end zone on 2-point conversion try.

Fullerton’s Henry Pillon makes leaping catch of 7-yard TD pass from Ryan Roger to pull Indians within one, 14-13, with 46 seconds to play.

Sunny Hills’ William Brown returns an interception to the Fullerton 30, setting up the Lancers’ game-winning touchdown.

Fullerton’s Henry Pillon thwarts a Sunny Hills’ drive with a leaping end zone interception.

Fullerton’s Henry Pillon snares a pass from Ryan Roger for a first down. Sunny Hills’ defender is Johnny Ramirez.

Fullerton quarterback Ryan Reger kept the Sunny Hills defense off-balance with his passing.

Fullerton’s Deshawn Cobbs is greeted by teammates after scoring on a 2-yard run.

Sunny Hills’ defenders Tony Salas (9) and Johnny Ramirez (27) stop a Fullerton rusher. Ramirez scored a touchdown and had an interception for the Lancers.

Fullerton players celebrate gaining possession of the ball after stopping Sunny Hills on a fourth and one play.

Sunny Hills’ Head Coach David Wilde discusses play selection with quarterback Larry Alvarez II.

Fullerton Head Coach Richard Salazar calls defensive signals.

Sunny Hills’ kicker Matthias Brown makes leaping grab on a high snap and gets off long punt.

Sunny Hills’ Kaito Inone had to avoid tacklers and a referee on short running setting up Lancers’ second TD.

Fullerton and Sunny Hills cheer teams gathered for a pregame photo.

Friday night the heroes were Sunny Hills’ defensive standouts William Brown, Logan Flores, Carson Singleton and Tony Salas.

It was Brown’s interception with six minutes to play that led to Sunny Hills’ deciding score, giving the Lancers possession on the Tribe 30.

Kaito Inoue scored on a 3-yard run after a hard count offside on 4th-and-1 gave the Lancers a first down at the 3. Matthias Brown kicked what would be the deciding PAT Fullerton got the ball back with 2:21 to play and seemed in dire straits, but quarterback Ryan Reger and receiver Henry Pillon hooked up three times on passes, including one of more than 50 yards to reach the Sunny Hills’ 7.

Pillon then made a leaping end zone grab of a pass from the scrambling Reger and the Indians were within one with 46 seconds to play. Fullerton used two timeouts to decide on the 2-point conversion attempt, moving the ball to the West hasmark and going to a power backfield.

The ball went to the Indians’ Deshawn Cobbs, one of the county’s top rushers, but Salas and other Lancer defenders jammed up the surge and Flores, an outside linebacker, slipped around the blockers to tackle Cobbs at the one.

Singleton then made an aggressive, diving recovery of the ensuing onside kick and Sunny Hills ran out the clock.

Fullerton took a 7-0 lead in the second quarter with perhaps its most impressive drive of the season, marching 95 yards, culminating with Cobbs’ five-yard run.

Sunny Hills even the score at 7 on Johnny Ramirez’ 4-yard run two minutes before halftime. That set up the fourth-quarter dynamics.

Next up

Sunny Hills (2-4, 1-0) is at perennial Freeway League champion La Habra (2-5, 1-0) and Fullerton hosts Sonora (5-1, 1-0). Both games are Friday night at 7.

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— Courtesy Jim McCormack, For OC Sports Zone