Seniors shine and Sunny Hills tops Buena Park 48-7 in Freeway League game

Sunny Hills linebacker Carson Irons is escorted by his parents Cameron and Michelle during senior night. Photo courtesy Jim McCormack, For OC Sports Zone)

On Seniors Night Friday junior Max Spero did what he needed to do.

“My role on the team is to get our senior running backs the ball and lead the team,” Spero said after his Sunny Hills football team improved to 2-0 with a 48-7 win over Buena Park High.

“It’s all about the seniors and I’m proud that I was able to be a part of the win,” added Spero, who replaced the graduated Luke Duxbury at quarterback and has been virtually flawless in his two starts as the Lancers’ QB.

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Receiver Dylan Lawson (15) and quarterbck Max Spero connected on 85-yard TD play Friday night.

Sunny Hills seniors gather for a team picture after the game.

In two games, Spero has gotten the ball to his senior running backs effectively enough that the trio of David Harris, Brandon Roberts and Vince Silva have a combined 10 touchdowns. Friday night Harris scored on runs of 24 and 38 yards, Silva on runs of 11 and 40 yards and Roberts on a 40-yard sprint.

Spero did manage to steal a little of the evening’s spotlight when he connected with another junior, 6-4 Dylan Lawson, on the night’s longest play, an 85-yard TD pass. Lawson caught a quick out from Spero, slipped by a Buena Park defender and won the race to the end zone. 

“My job is just to get yards and be a role player,” Lawson said. “This really is all about the seniors.”

In only their second game of the season the Lancers chose to honor their seniors Friday night … perhaps influenced by the continuing uncertainty of a pandemic delayed season.

“It’s such a special group, Coach Pete Karavedas said of his seniors. “They were 9-1 as freshman, 9-1 as sophomores on the JV, won a CIF title as juniors and then the pandemic hit. If I had to be stuck with any group of kids longer (because of the delayed 2020 season), I’m glad it is with them.”

And while Harris, Roberts and Silva put on their usual show out of the Lancers’ bewildering double wing offense, it was senior linebacker Carson Irons who ultimately produced the most spectacular highlight reel moment of the night.

On one of his many scrambles of the night, Buena Park sophomore quarterback Jadin Sexton was unfortunate to run into the Princeton-bound Irons, or, more accurately, Irons ran into Sexton, and the resulting collision sent the ball flying at least 20 yards downfield, Sunny Hills recovering at the Buena Park 11 and Silva scoring on the next play.

Buena Park dressed only 29 players and was at a disadvantage from the start, but competed to the end, Marvin Alapati providing the Coyotes’ only score of the night on a fourth-quarter, 11-yard run. The Coyotes also got several good kickoff returns by Julian Arredondo.

Both teams continue Freeway League play next Friday with Buena Park hosting Fullerton and Sunny Hills facing Troy at Fullerton High.

Sunny Hills seniors honored Friday night: Brian Chang, David Harris, Carson Irons, Vincent Silva, Noah Brown, Kenny Lathrum, Bryan Paz, Oscar Gonzalez, Jorge, Ruiz, Jeremiah Mendoza, Jeric Abuyen, Brandon Roberts, Cole Dunkleberger, Kevin Hu, Dominic Geib, Ben Tatley, Mekhi Gay, Vincent Cortez, Jericho Abuyen, Chris Flores, Jorge Ruiz and Fabio Garcia.

—-Courtesy Jim McCormack, For OC Sports Zone