Woodbridge Warriors celebrate Friday’s wild league win over Uni. (Photo courtesy Woodbridge athletics).
Woodbridge High School’s football team came from behind in double overtime to defeat University 37-36 in an Omicron League game lasting three hours and 20 minutes at Uni.
It was Woodbridge’s home game. The two teams share the University stadium.
Woodbridge (2-7, 2-2) moved into third place in the league ahead of University and Buena Park, both 1-3 in league.
Woodbridge wraps up league play hosting Buena Park Thursday, Oct. 30 at Uni while Uni (3-6) finishes league play hosting Katella on Friday, Oct. 31.
“We have had this game circled on our calendar since the day I got this job,” said Woodbridge Coach Connor McBride, a former Uni assistant. “For my guys to go out there, face adversity and win in double overtime makes me so proud.
“We are looking forward to continuing the streak and making a push for the playoffs with a win next week.”
In Friday’s game, Woodbridge appeared to be in full control of the game in the first half, with 228 yards of offense to just 37 yards for University.
Despite that Woodbridge only led 9-0 at halftime. Fabian Grey kicked a 22-yard field goal to open the scoring in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter Kayjahn Pitts scored on a 6-yard run, but the extra point kick was wide left.
Late in the second quarter Woodbridge had a touchdown run that was nullified on a penalty. On the last play of the half, a 38-yard field goal attempt by Grey was blocked.
Five plays into the second half, freshman quarterback Waylon Stone scampered 33 yards into the end zone giving Woodbridge a 15-0 lead as the extra point kick was blocked. Stone accounted for 189 yards of total offense with 70 on the ground and 119 in the air.
The Trojans finally started to move the ball and drove the ball 66 yards in 10 plays resulting in a 5-yard touchdown run by Zion Barreto. Shortly thereafter, Woodbridge countered with 7-play, 80-yard drive finishing with a 4-yard Pitts TD run to make it 22-7.
The fourth quarter was all University’s. Tight end Lucca Clouthier caught a 13-yard scoring pass from Dylan Elmer to complete a 7-play, 69-yard drive.
After forcing Woodbridge to punt, the Trojans got the ball back with five minutes to go and used most of it to cut the lead to two on a 12-yard pass from Elmer to Cruz McMullens. The necessary two-point conversion pass from Elmer to Clouthier tied the game at 22-all and sent the game into overtime.
Woodbridge opened overtime with Pitt’s third rushing touchdown and a 29-22 lead. Uni evened the score with a 5-yard Elmer pass to Jake Rabold.
The Trojans went ahead for the first time in the game, 36-29, with Elmer finding Clouthier in the end zone again on a 7-yard pass. The Warriors countered with Pitt’s fourth rushing touchdown. After a timeout, Woodbridge elected to go for two, and Pitts was successful on a run off left tackle giving them the victory in this rivalry game.
The Warriors amassed 330 yards on the ground with Pitts responsible for 186 yards on 23 carries. Pitts also had three receptions for 48 yards.
After going 1 for 13 in the first half, Uni’s Elmer finished the evening going 16-for-34 for 229 yards and four touchdown passes. Clouthier caught five passes for 84 yards.
Cruz McMullens grabbed nine passes for 116 yards. In doing so, he set the all-time University pass receiving yards record of 856 yards, surpassing the record of 837 yards set by Blaine Anderson in 2022, now a wide receiver at Chapman University.
—-Courtesy Daryl Bogard, For OC Sports Zone
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