Crean Lutheran Dominates Huntington Beach in 38-14 Bounce-Back Victory (2024)

Huntington Beach – ‘Cap’ Sheu Field

Crean Lutheran bounced back from a heartbreaking loss with a dominant 38-14 win over Huntington Beach on Friday, marking their sixth victory this season by more than 19 points. The Saints, now 7-2, showed why they’ve been a tough opponent all season.

Crean Lutheran struck first as Archer C’de Baca powered his way into the end zone for a rushing touchdown. Huntington Beach quickly answered with a 5-yard touchdown pass from star quarterback Brady Edmunds to wide receiver Troy Foster, tying the game at 7-7. Crean regained the lead on a field goal by Connor Stephens, then widened the lead as Ben Byszewski picked off a pass and took it to the house, making it 17-7.

After a scoreless second quarter, the Saints opened up the second half with freshman quarterback Dylan D’epifanio finding Carter Jones in the end zone. Although Huntington pushed back with another touchdown pass to Niko Lopez, bringing the score to 24-14. Crean’s defense kept the Oilers’ ground game in check, allowing only 27 rushing yards. Meanwhile, Eli Bray led the Saints’ ground attack with impressive yards per carry, adding balance to the team’s offense.

Crean pulled away in the fourth quarter with D’epifanio running in a touchdown and later connecting with Daylin Caamano for another score, closing the game at 38-14.

When asked about the key to Crean’s dominant performance, Taurian Nash highlighted the team’s strong focus: “Being disciplined, playing hard, and just flying to the ball – taking no plays off, just going our best every play.”

Huntington Beach, now 5-4, looks to bounce back next Thursday against El Dorado. Crean Lutheran, ranked 55th in California, will face Laguna Hills on Friday as they aim to continue their high-scoring season, averaging 31.8 points per game.