Fountain Valley Barely Outlasts Aliso Niguel (2022)

Huntington Beach – ‘Cap’ Sheue Field

Huntington Beach – The Fountain Valley football team closed out non-league play in thrilling fashion, defeating Aliso Niguel 16-14 on Friday at Cap Sheue Field.

In avenging last year’s loss to the Wolverines, the Barons will enter the Sunset League 4-1 for the first time since 2018, when they last made the playoffs. They won despite not having the services of Abdel Habibeh, who received two unsportsmanlike penalties two weeks in their win over Marina.

“At practice, we always challenge [each other] and try to get our best and we’ve always pushed through it. We know how to go through tough times,” Luke Turner said.
Both teams were coming off their bye week and early on, it showed in their offenses. Fountain Valley quarterback Noa Banua was picked off in Aliso Niguel territory, which crushed a promising drive, but the favor was returned after the Wolverines went three and out following the interception.

The two teams were scoreless after the first quarter, but the Barons were on the move and had entered the redzone. Three plays into the second quarter, Fountain Valley found paydirt, as Banua hit Nolan Oliveres for a five-yard touchdown pass.
After the next four drives between both teams featured punts, the fourth punt courtesy of the Barons pinned Aliso Niguel at their own two. The Barons did everything they to try and force a safety, but a facemask penalty on them gave the Wolverines a little more breathing room.

Aliso Niguel eventually made Fountain Valley pay, as three plays later, Hunter Najm found Jaylen Williams, who hauled in the ball, despite facing coverage from a Baron defender. On the next play, Jack Gill rumbled on in for a 23-yard touchdown run to tie the game.

After a good kick return, the Barons tried to get one more touchdown to put themselves up. But they had to settle for a field goal, as Oliveres kicked a field goal from 41-yards out to put them up 10-7 at halftime.
The first drive of the second half looked promising at first for Fountain Valley’s defense, until penalties started hampering it and keeping the Wolverines’ offense going. Eventually, Gill got them down to the Barons’ two-yard line after a 39-yard run, which was capped off by a two-yard touchdown off a direct snap.

After another good kickoff return, the Barons marched into Aliso Niguel territory after penalties by the Wolverines a timely first down run. But the drive stalled out as they were stopped short on a 4th and 1 run as the Wolverines took over.
Aliso Niguel eventually punted and Fountain Valley went to work, eventually converting a 3rd and 11 courtesy of Banua finding Scott Peshke for a 33-yard completed pass. The drive got all the way down to the Wolverines’ three, but the Barons turned it over on downs following Gill making a tackle on a run attempt on fourth down.

The Barons’ defense eventually forced Aliso Niguel to punt, and the Barons knew that this was the drive the offense needed to come up big with points.
On the third play of the drive, Banua found Taylor for a big first down off a 19-yard pass. After Banua ran it for nine yards, he threw an incomplete pass, but shook it off and found Taylor a second time on the drive as he scampered in for an 18-yard touchdown to give Fountain Valley the lead after the missed extra point.

“I feel like our receivers have developed this year. Our defense showed out tonight,” Olivares said.

The Barons forced the Wolverines to punt, as the offense appeared on the verge of closing out the game. But on the second play of the drive, Gill intercepted Banua at midfield, giving Aliso Niguel one last chance at a game-winning drive.
The Wolverines eventually got down to the Barons’ 17, where they eventually brought out the field goal until to try and kick the game-winning field goal. But Fernando Garcia partially blocked the field goal, causing it to miss wide right, allowing Fountain Valley to take over, run the clock down and secure the victory.

“That is a well-coached football team, they should be a playoff team. I know the Sunset League is a very difficult league, but if I’m in the Sunset League, I’m circling the game [against Fountain Valley] because they come to play and they play all four quarters,” Wolverines coach Michael Callahan said about the Barons.

The Barons open Sunset League play at Cap Sheue Field against Corona Del Mar on Thursday at 7 p.m.