Huntington Beach Wins CIF-SS Playoff Opener in High Scoring Game Against Western (2024)

Huntington Beach – ‘Cap’ Sheue Field

The Huntington Beach football team won a high-scoring game against Western 56-39 on Friday at Cap Sheue Field in the CIF-SS Division 5 playoffs.

The Oilers (7-4) advance to the quarterfinals where they will play Summit at A.B. Miller High School on Friday at 7 p.m. The Skyhawks beat Torrance in their playoff opener 37-7.

In Huntington Beach’s playoff opener against Western, it featured two teams who have the most efficient offense in Orange County. The first punt of the game didn’t occur until early in the fourth quarter.

After the Pioneers scored first, Huntington Beach marched down the field and capped off their drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Brady Edmunds to Steel Kurtz. The Oilers forced Western to turn the ball over on downs before the first quarter ended and scored again as Edmunds found Troy Foster for a 32-yard catch and run.

Foster missed last week’s regular season finale against El Dorado with a foot injury. Despite not being at 100% but getting cleared by doctors, four catches for 87 yards and a touchdown, as Oilers coach Brett Brown called him a “warrior.”

Western didn’t let that deter them, as they scored two straight touchdowns to take the lead at 19-13. The first being a four yard touchdown run from Malachi Alatore and the second being a 42-yard touchdown pass from Chance Thomas to JJ Amezcua after the Pioneers forced a turnover on downs.

Huntington Beach managed to get a crucial touchdown before halftime, which might have been the difference-maker, as Edmunds hit Gabe Bryant for a 24-yard catch and run. The Oilers led 21-19 at halftime and got the ball to start the second half.

Deferring at the coin toss might have been the best idea for the Oilers, who more often than not start with the ball during games. Micha Riola broke off a 37-yard touchdown run to extend their lead to 28-19.

Riola finished with 16 carries for 101 yards and one touchdown. The 101 rushing yards marked the first time he’s eclipsed the century mark in a single game.

Western did respond as Alatore broke loose a 78-yard touchdown run, but on the next drive, the Oilers had an answer, as Edmunds hit Niko Lopez for an eight-yard touchdown pass On the Pioneers’ next drive, Nick Navarette picked off Thomas and set up an eventual Edmunds touchdown run to extend Huntington Beach’s lead to 42-27.

In the fourth quarter, after Western scored off a 52-yard screen pass from Thomas to Alatore, it decided to go for an onside kick. But Trent Clark recovered the onside kick and returned it for a 50-yard touchdown.

The next drive saw Thomas hit Maxwell Young for a 39-yard touchdown to make the score 49-39, but that was as close as the Pioneers got, as the Oilers chewed up a majority of the clock on the next drive and secured the win.