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Yorba Linda running back William Saucedo gains yards for the Mustangs in the first half of Saturday’s bowl game. (Photos: Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone).
Yorba Linda High School’s football team, after 14 straight wins and a CIF Division 3 championship, had its memorable season end Saturday night when Liberty of Bakersfield rallied for a 41-28 victory in the CIF State Regional Divison 1A game at Yorba Linda.
Yorba Linda, behind the solid running of William Saucedo, held a 28-14 halftime lead. But Liberty scored 27 unanswered points to advance into the state championship game next Saturday against Northern California opponent Pittsburg at 4 p.m. at Saddleback College.
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Coach Jeff Bailey’s Yorba Linda team finished 14-1.
“It’s a heckuva team they have over there,” Bailey said. “They’re big and physical and kind of wore us down a little. But I’m proud of our guys, it was a heckuva season and nothing to be ashamed of and we fought our butts off all night, we just came out on the short end of it.
“We got some turnovers in the first half (on defense) and made some plays and in the second half, no turnovers, defensively they did a great job of slowing us down. We didn’t make those plays in the second half. We got behind the chains a few times and they had some good pressure on us. We just didn’t execute as much offensively passing as we normally do.”
Bailey said the Mustangs have plenty to be proud of.
“Obviously, 14-0 is something special, we played our hearts out tonight against a big school and we’re not a very big school, take nothing from this team, they played their butts off all year and it was a heckuva team.”
Liberty Coach Bryan Nixon was pleased with his team’s comeback in the second half.
“What a game, that had to be a great game to watch,” he said. “Our kids came out, what a great second half, hats off to these kids, that’s a great football program over there and our kids never quit and came back and played four quarters.
“We had two turnovers (in the first half) that caused them 14 points, otherwise it’s 14-14. But our kids did a great job, they never wavered, they didn’t panic, they got off the field when they needed to get off the field, they answered the bell and they scored touchdowns and they never gave up.”
Jalen Hankins scored on a 12-yard TD run with 3:58 left in the game to put Liberty ahead 35-28. Mehki Delouth then provided an insurance score when he scored from 21 yards out with 2:04 left.
In the first half, Yorba Linda evened the score 7-7 when quarterback Reyn Beal connected with Jayden Flaig on a 28-yard TD pass. The Mustangs then moved ahead 14-7 when Ali Elkify scored on a 1-yard TD run following an interception by Owen Tesch.
Liberty tied the game 14-14 when quarterback Jace Nixon connected with Kresean Kizzy on a 70-yard TD pass. Nixon passed for two touchdown passes, and ran one in.
But Yorba Linda moved ahead 20-14 on a 66-yard TD run by Jason Escovar.
The Mustangs extended their lead to 28-14 on a 10-yard TD run by Beal and led 28-14 following a two-point conversion which gave Yorba Linda a two score cushion at the break.
However, Liberty came back fired up after the interval, cut down on turnovers in the second half, and their defense stiffened against Yorba Linda to seal the victory.
—Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone
