October 6, 2024

OC Sports Zone: Community First

Woodbridge football team captures first league title in 20 years and repeats as Fence Post champions

Woodbridge’s football team celebrates after Friday’s victory. (Photos: Fernando M. Donado, for OC Sports Zone)

Woodbridge’s football team wrapped up its first league title in 20 years and captured the Dennis Toohey Fence Post Trophy with a 35-0 Pacific Coast League victory over University Friday night in front of an estimated 3,500 fans who packed the University stadium.

To see the slide show, please click on the first photo.

Woodbridge (6-3, 4-0) won its second Fence Post Trophy in a row.

“The kids were very motivated tonight,” said Woodbridge Coach Rick Gibson. “They put everything together other than the first drive when they were a little too hyper where we got two offisides penalties. I felt that things went well.”

Woodbridge’s last league title came in 1998 when the Warriors won the Sea View League title under Gibson.

Quarterback Kyle Hurry led the Warriors passing for 169 yards and a touchdown.

Jacob Nash had two touchdowns, a 27-yard run and hauled in a 26-yard TD catch. Hurry also scored on a 1-yard keeper and Elyjah Rush had touchdown runs of 14 and 10 yards in the third quarter.

Woodbridge, the designated home team, had a 35-0 lead after three quarters and the game was played with a running clock in the fourth quarter.

Rush had 123 yards on 12 carries.

Woodbridge players were jubilant after the game when the Warriors received the Fence Post.

“We just wanted to do it again because there was a big hole left when Nick Nash and everybody left last year,” Hurry said. “So we wanted to show that our class is just as talented and that we could do it again.”

Hurry said his players were excited about winning a league title too.

“It’s been 20 years and it doesn’t feel real yet,” he said. “We knew in our hearts that we can do it. But now that’s it’s finally here, we’re going to have our names om a banner. With this team. The sky is the limit for us.

“We knew what we had to accomplish coming into this game,” Rush added. “We knew what was on the line. We had a chance to win Fence Post and league and it hasn’t been done in 20 years. We’ve just been focused the whole week and we came out and ran our game plan and it worked.”

University (2-7, 1-3) was led by quarterback Thomas Keeling, who passed for 68 yards. The Trojans were held to under 50 yards rushing.

“I was proud of our effort against a good Woodbridge team,” said Uni Coach Scott Meyer. “We continue to play hard and battle until the end.”

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportzone.com

                            STATS

UNI                 00     00     00     00     –    00

WHS               07     14     14     00      –   35

RUSHING: Uni Castillo 7-30, Morgan 3-12 WHS Rush 12-123, Nash 4-50.

PASSING: Uni Keeling 5-20-1, 68 yards; WHS Hurry 11-17-0, 169 yards, 1 TD

RECEIVING: Uni Harlan 2-29; WHS Nash 4-59, Turner 3-44.

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

A YEAR-BY-YEAR LISTING OF FENCE POST WINNERS