PHOTOS: Sunny Hills shuts out Brea Olinda and celebrates new coach’s first victory

Sunny Hills’ Johnny Ramirez dives for the end zone, scoring his team’s first touchdown of the night. (Photos courtesy Jim McCormack, For OC Sports Zone).

Larry Alvarez II had a nickname before he even started a game for Sunny Hills and by the time he finished directing the Lancers to their first win of the season Friday night, 16-0 over visiting Brea Olinda, he had two.

“We call him Larry Dimes,” David Wilde said after the Lancers (1-2) presented him with his first win as Sunny Hills’ head coach.

He earned that nickname from former Lancer Coach Pete Karavedas playing on the JV team last year. As a defensive lineman, he intercepted a pass and scored a TD and as a quarterback he threw two touchdown passes , which Karavedas nicknamed “a dime.”

But when Alvarez eschewed handing the ball to others while running the Sunny Hills’ double-wing offense and took off on a few big runs for himself, his teammates began calling him “Larry Carries.”

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Sunny Hills’ quarterback Larry Alvarez II is greeted on the sideline after a crucial first-down run.

Sunny Hills’ Connor Irons deflects a pass by Brea-Olinda QB Cullen Doyle. Irons also recovered a fumble that ended Brea Olinda’s last scoring opportunity.

Brea-Olinda sophomore quarterback Cullen Doyle releases a pass against pressure by Sunny Hills.

This fourth-down end zone pass was just beyond the
fingertips of Brea-Olinda’s Roman Remaz.

The area received .33 inches of rain Friday, double the historical monthly average for September.

A Brea-Olinda defender breaks up this end zone pass
intended for Sunny Hills’ Miguel Barrios.

Matthias Brown’s right foot played a big role in the
Lancers’ win, with a field goal (36 yards), extra point, and booming punts and kickoffs.

Slippery when wet … wet footballs bothered both teams. Here Wildcat QB Cullen Doyle recovers an errant snap as Sunny Hills’ Elijah Yoo (2) closes in.

Brea Olinda cheerleaders support their team in the rain.

Lancer running back Nathaniel Lee slips a tackle on a 3-yard, fourth quarter scoring run.

Brea-Olinda’s Joseph Galazrez is tackled by Lancer Cole Dunkleberger after a sizeable gain.

Friday’s victory was David Wilde’s first as coach of the Lancers.

Sunny Hills’ Johnny Ramirez gains crucial yardage on a fourth quarter TD drive.

Sunny Hills student Dailyn Eckerd sang a beautiful
rendition of the National Anthem.

A fan looks on during Friday night's game.

Sunny Hills’ fans, from left, Elaine Chung, Hannah Won, Olivia Lee and Audrey Jeon were ready for the game and the rain.

Dancing in the rain, the Sunny Hills’ dance team performed ay halftime.

The Sunny Hills’ video crew worked to keep their equipment dry while filming the game. From left, Frank Lopez, Landon Klepper, Grace Spero, Julia Brown and Luke Lawrence.

The majority of Alvarez’s timely carries came on the Lancers’ second successful drive of the night, a time consuming 80-yard march which concluded with Nathaniel Lee’s three-yard scoring run and a 16-0 lead with five minutes to play.

Brea Olinda’s young team, which had had several just-missed opportunities earlier in the game, responded with a solid drive of its own, moving deep into Sunny Hills’ territory before an errant center snap flew past Wildcat quarterback Cullen Doyle and was recovered by Sunny Hills’ Connor Irons.

The loss was the first in three games for the young Wildcat team.

Sunny Hills scored in the first quarter, needing to travel only 32 yards after Cole Dunkleberger intercepted a Brea pass. Johnny Ramirez dove into the end zone from five yards out.

If anyone else on the Lancers’ team deserved a nickname it could be kicker Matthias Brown, aka “Big Foot.” Exchange problems and an untimely penalty cost the Lanccers on two kicking opportunities, a field goal and an extra point.

But Brown, who was CIF Division III player of the year in the spring after leading the Lancers’ to a CIF soccer title, did kick one PAT and a 36-yard field goal. Even more significantly, his kickoffs and punts kept the Wildcats at a disadvantage, field possession wise, all evening.

This week: Sunny Hills hosts La Mirada (1-3) Friday night at Buena Park High School. Brea Olinda plays at another Freeway League team, Fullerton, also on Friday.

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—Story courtesy Jim McCormack for OC Sports Zone