Mission Viejo Classic Saturday: No. 22 Bellevue upsets No. 21 Oaks Christian

MISSION VIEJO, Calif. - They aren't real big. And not particularly flashy. But the Bellevue (Wash.) football team is, if nothing else, resilient.

The Wolverines got some remarkably determined runs from mighty backs John Nguyen (5-foot-9, 180 pounds) and Ari Morales (5-9, 160) and one monumental all-around game from quarterback and cornerback Tyler Hasty to knock of bigger, prettiery and flashier Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) 31-21 in the sixth and final game of the inaugural Mission Viejo Football Classic late Saturday night.

Nguyen rushed 19 times for 145 yards and two touchdowns, including a 12-yard blast up the middle with 2:34 remaining to all but seal the victory. He earlier scored on a 13-yard run in the first quarter.

The game pitted the No. 21 (Oaks Christian) and 22 teams in the nation.



"When I crossed the line I didn't know I was in," he said. "I just kept moving my legs like I'm taught to do. This was a great, great win."

Hasty, son of former NFL defensive back, rushed for 99 yards, completed 5 of 6 passes, had two interceptions on defense and stripped the ball straight out of the hands of Arizona State-bound Oaks Christian standout Carlos Mendoza who had a pretty fair game himself with 12 tackles and a team-high 107 yards rushing.

"That Mendoza is a stud," Bellevue coach Butch Goncharoff said. "I'm sure he's one of the best in the nation. But if people don't think that Tyler Hasty isn't one of the best in the country, there's something seriously wrong."

As good as Nguyen and Hasty were, a 23-yard touchdown run by Morales midway through the third quarter personified Bellevue's resolve.

On a quick-pitch left, Mendoza made a straight line for Morales and drilled him with his best shot. Morales just kept driving, bounced outside further, broke two more tackles and sprinted into the end zone, giving Bellevue a 24-13 lead.

Earlier in the game Morales fumbled, setting up a Oaks Christian score.



"The kid is a gamer," Goncharoff said. "They all are. That's a heck of a win against one heck of a football team."

Oaks Christian, winners of 136 of 150 games the last 11 seasons, moved the ball well in spots behind first-year quarterback Luke Falk, a 6-4 junior transfer from Utah.

Falk completed 22 of 42 for 235 yards and one touchdown, a 20-yard strike to USC-bound Jordan Payton (nine catches, 103 yards) in the second quarter to put the Lions up 13-10.

Following Bellevue's third-quarter flurry, Oaks Christian cut the lead to 24-21 on a 2-yard run by Mendoza and ensuing two-point conversion with 11:15 left.

After holding, Oaks Christian got the ball back but on 4th-and-10 from his own 49 and more than six minutes remaining, coach Bill Redell went for it. Falk's pass went incomplete, Bellevue took over and converted a pair of fourth-down plays before Nguyen's decisive touchdown.

"It was a gamble but I just didn't feel like we might get the ball back," Redell said about the fourth-down call.



Hasty capped the win with his second interception, setting off a hearty Bellevue celebration.

"It took everything we had to pull this out," Hasty said. "We stuck to our game plan. Coach made adjustments at halftime and our backs ran hard. It was a great, great win."  Orange Lutheran is nearly flawless in romp over Utah power. {PAGEBREAK} Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) 42, Bingham (South Jordan, Utah) 7

Three hours after Alta made a strong case for Utah football, un-ranked Orange Lutheran humbled the two-time defending state 5A champion with a near-perfect opening night performance at the Mission Viejo Football Classic.

Senior quarterback Conner Sullivan, just named the starter in the last week after a possible starter transferred, accounted for four touchdowns, three passing.

His only rushing touchdown opened the scoring, a 50-yard sprint around left end to finish off an opening 83-yard drive that set the tone.

After Bingham (2-1), ranked third in Utah, tied the score at 7-7 on a 1-yard run by Daniel Palepoi later in the first quarter, Lutheran (1-0) absolutely dominated. By midway through the fourth, after Graeme Fraser's second touchdown run - a 41-yard jaunt - the mercy running clock was set.



This against a team that hadn't lost in its last 26 games. That last loss was also out of state, to Trinity (Euless, Texas) 41-21 in the third game of the 2009 season. 

"We thought we were such bad-asses in Utah, but we came in here and got humbled," highly-touted 6-foot-3, 220-pound Bingham linebacker Jared Afaiava told Bill Oran of the Salt Lake Tribune.

Bingham could learn how to deal from humility by Sullivan who had four career starts and no touchdown passes and four interceptions. But the unimposing 6-foot, 185-pound senior responded with a career game on his biggest stage to date.

He said preparation in the vaunted Trinity League, which annually boasts 2-3 nationally-ranked teams, helped him with Saturday's performance. He threw for 124 yards and completed TD passes of 7 yards to Brady Roelofs, 25 yards to Miles Willis and 3 yards to Demetrius Palmer.

"I was just trying to manage the game and make good reads," Sullivan said. "It turned out better than I could have expected, but that's because of all the good work my teammates did."

Orange Lutheran coach Jim Kunau, whose team won the 2006 State Division II Bowl Game title, said he wasn't surprised by Sullivan's performance.



"He played just like he practices," Kunau said. "All the kids did. I wasn't expecting 42-7, but I always expect our boys to perform at a high level." See Alta's big win. {PAGEBREAK}Alta (Sandy, Utah) 45, Crenshaw (Los Angeles, Calif.) 14
As Atla's coaching staff was praising their team for a resounding victory, assistant Scott Ditty grabbed everyone's attention. And we mean everyone.

"We sent a message to the whole country today that Utah can play ball!" Ditty yelled while turning a deep shade of red.

Indeed Hawks (2-1), coming off a disappointing loss to Utah-rival Bingham, rolled the Los Angeles City power behind the one two punch of quarterback Tyson Blackner and running back Bryan Engstrom in the second of four Mission Viejo Classic games.

Blackner, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound senior. completed 13 of 22 for 279 yards and accounted for four touchdowns, three passing. One of those went for 88 yards to Engstrom, who rushed 13 times for 76 yards and caught four passes for 138 yards. Engstrom scored two touchdowns.

"After last week's loss, this definitely helps us get back on track," Alta coach Bob Stephens said. "I couldn't be happier or more pleased with what we showed today."

Stephens, who played at nearby La Mirada High School and before snapping center snaps at BYU for Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer, is a first-year head coach who shared the same sentiment as Ditty.



"We play some good football in Utah," Stephens said. "I think we can compete with anyone in the country."

Alta more than competed right from the start, racing to a 17-0 first-lead on a field goal and two touchdowns from Engstrom, an overachieving 5-9, 170-pound senior.

He plunged over the line for a 1-yard score, before taking a short swing pass by Blackner and outracing the fleet Crenshaw secondary.

"That's a smoking fast team that hits real hard," Engstrom said.

Crenshaw showed their defensive speed, but turning a couple turnovers into touchdowns. The first was when Darion Lewis sacked Blackner, defensive lineman Deshawn Jolly picked it up and rambled 10 yards for a touchdown.

A 12-yard TD pass from Jerry Mcconico to Lewis made it 17-14 just before half. But just before halftime, a 9-yard touchdown toss Blackner to 6-6 Harrison Handley put Alta back in command.



The Hawks dominated the second half against a young and inexperienced Crenshaw team.

"They kicked our butt up and down the field," Crenshaw coach Robert Garrett said. "We have no excuses."

Asked if this was a signature win for Utah, Engstrom said: "Every time you go out of state it's a chance to show what you can do. I think Crenshaw was awesome. It was an honor to play them."

Bakersfield takes it to another Utah opponent. {PAGEBREAK}Bakersfield (Calif.) 38, Timpview (Provo, Utah) 13

It's not a new concept. Speed kills. And Bakersfield had just too much quickness and overall speed in a lopsided victory in the first of four games in the second day of the Mission Viejo Football Classic.

Quarterback Chris Hannible accounted for three first-half touchdowns and Jeremiah Reddick added a 72-yard TD jaunt as the Drillers piled up almost 400 yards of offense.



Bakersfield coach Paul Golla was thrilled with how his youngsters performed. The Drillers sport eight sophomores, including Kevin Hayes, a 6-3, 170-pound wideout who took a short pass and turned it into a 69-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter, and Reddick (6-0, 170), who finished with just three carries for 75 yards.

"We have a lot of young guys and it's really exciting he said," Golla said. "I think we're going to surprise some people."

But Hannible, a 6-foot, 180-pound senior, runs the show and he was superb throughout. He finished 14 of 22 for 212 yards and two scores and he rushed 15 times for 49 yards and another score.

He threw TD passes of 69 yards to Jake Lloyd and 20 yards to Silas Nacita. He then finished things off with a 69-yard strike to Hayes midway through the third quarter as Bakersfield went up 38-7.

"He's a special kid and a special leader," Golla said.

Bakersfield actually used it's big offensive front to go 83 yards in 16 plays and take a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard run by Hannible.



"That's really what we do," Golla said.

Timpview (1-2), ranked 18th in the state, got a 69-yard yard pass from Jake Loyd to Justin Fulton just before halftime and a 2-yard TD run by Gregson Aspinall for its lone scores.

"Timpview is a good football team," Golla said. "We thought they'd give us fits. We're excited and surprised how well we played today."