December 22, 2024

OC Sports Zone: Community First

Sunny Hills defense responds to coach’s message and Lancers top Gahr 38-0

Sunny Hills offensive star Jun Ahn (right) with lineman Brian Chang after Friday’s win. (Photo courtesy Jim McCormack, For OC Sports Zone).

Sunny Hills football coach Pete Karavedas wasn’t happy with the way his defense practiced Tuesday and he didn’t hide his displeasure.

“We called them out on their effort,” Karavedas said.

How did his defense respond to criticism?

“We had a really good practice Wednesday night,” he said.

And an even better Friday night, shutting out Gahr 38-0 Friday night at Buena Park High School.

“We asked them to get to the ball, gang tackle and to give us a great effort,” Karavedas said.

Led by linebackers Carson Irons, Vince Silva and Kevin Hu, the Lancers (3-1) never let up, even when they were leading 24-0 midway through the fourth quarter and Gahr (2-2) had a first down inside the Sunny Hills 10.

Irons and safety Luke Duxbury stopped Gahr quarterback Rasaad Willis on a quarterback draw at the one on third down and then on 4th-and-1 at the 1, Irons and Hu swarmed Willis for a 10-yard loss.

The stand eliminated whatever energy Gahr had remaining and the Lancers dominated the last five minutes with two long drives, culminated by touchdowns by Jun Ahn, who ran 35 yards for his third TD of the night, and TJ Vaipac who stormed 15 yards for his first score of the season.

While the defense was doing a solid job of containing the Gahr offense, the Lancer offense deliberately built a lead.

The Lancers’ first score was on an out-and-up pass from Duxbury to Wilson Cal, who made a nice catch on the ball, turned a defender around and sprinted 70 yards for a touchdown for a 7-0 first-quarter lead.

They Lancers added 10 points in the second, getting their second score when Ahn blasted into the end zone on a 4th-and-1 and then adding three more points minutes later on Mathias Brown’s 32-yard field goal. 

The Lancers’ third quarter score came on a 5-yard run by Ahn.

Sunny Hills travels to Trabuco Hills next week for another important non-league game.

-Courtesy Jim McCormack, For OC Sports Zone