Huntington Beach football gets back on track in rout of Western

HUNTINGTON BEACH – Frustrated by a one-point loss last week, Huntington Beach’s football team took it out on Western this week.

The Oilers trounced the Pioneers 48-7 in a nonleague game Thursday at Huntington Beach High.

Junior quarterback Brady Edmunds threw for 328 yards and five touchdowns and also ran for a touchdown for the Oilers.

Senior receiver Troy Foster had nine receptions for 184 yards and a touchdown. Dylin Bruce and Steel Kurtz each had two touchdown catches.

Senior linebacker Darby Warren had two sacks, and forced a fumble on one of them that was recovered by teammate Logan Gray. Evan Scruggs had an interception for Huntington Beach.

The Oilers (2-1) lost to Trabuco Hills 20-19 last week.

“We were going to have a wakeup call sooner or later,” said Edmunds, who is committed to Ohio State. “I’d rather have it come sooner rather than later.”

Edmunds, who completed 18 of 29 passes, figured the Oilers were primed to do what they did Thursday.

“There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that we were going to come out and show it, and show it on the scoreboard,” he said.

Western had won two close games going into Thursday’s game, including a 27-20 win over Villa Park last week. The Pioneers scored the winning touchdown with 39 seconds remaining.

Turnovers and special teams errors contributed to Western’s struggles Thursday, and the Pioneers failed to convert on four fourth-down tries for a first down. But even a clean game by the Pioneers might not have enabled them to keep up with how well Huntington Beach played.

Both teams failed on fourth-down conversion tries on their first possessions. Huntington Beach, which beat Orange 35-18 in a season opener, scored on its second possession, a 3-yard, up-the-middle surge by Edmunds for a 7-0 lead with 3:05 left in the first quarter.

Edmunds floated a 58-yard bomb to Foster, a Colorado State commit, to make it 14-0 with five seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Thomas scored on an 8-yard run for Western to cut the lead to 14-7.

The Oilers pulled away by scoring three touchdowns in the half’s final five minutes.

Bruce, who had 102 receiving yards on four catches, slipped behind Western’s secondary to accept a long pass from Edmunds for a 58-yard touchdown and a 21-7 lead. Bruce is a transfer from Long Beach Poly.

A bad snap on a Western punt gave Huntington Beach a short field moments later. The Oilers took advantage, scoring on Nathan Villanueva’s 1-yard run. The point-after kick was no good, leaving them with a 27-7 advantage with 1:28 left in the half.

A failed fourth-down try by Western presented the Oilers with another short field, and again the Oilers capitalized on it, scoring on a 6-yard pass from Edmunds to Kurtz with 30 seconds to go for a 34-7 halftime lead.

Huntington Beach scored its final two touchdowns in the third quarter on an 18-yard pass from Edmunds to Kurtz and a 16-yard pass from Edmunds to Bruce.

Thomas completed 20 of 35 passes for 250 yards. Bunchie Young had seven receptions for 146 yards for the Pioneers.

Next week Western plays at home against La Mirada on Thursday, Sept. 11. Huntington Beach is at home against Redondo Union on Friday, Sept. 12.