Mission Oak makes a statement with performance against Mt. Whitney
There was a full moon over Bob Mathias Stadium on Friday night.
And on the field, the Mission Oak Hawks did their best to create full stat boxes.
The Hawks’ 56-7 win over Mt. Whitney came with an overflow of statistical numbers. But perhaps the brightest stat of the night was that the Hawks (2-1) have already matched last season’s win total. With big plays and stingy defense, Mission Oak is making this a comeback season.
“The culture has changed,” coach David Flores said.
It was evident the first time the Hawks touched the ball against the struggling Pioneers (0-4).
Mission Oak’s first possession was a 68-yard, 9-play drive that resulted in a Jericho Sierra 2-yard scoring run.
Mission Oak added even more shine to the quarter: Sierra burst free for a 16-yard scoring run and Matt Ordunez hit Jason Hernandez for a 16-yard touchdown pass.
“We’re a good team all around,” Sierra said. “And we have a very strong defense.”
The stats support Sierra.
Friday night, the Hawks’ defense snagged three interceptions, created and recovered one fumble and forced three turnovers on downs.
Add that to an offense with big-play capability and you have a Mission Oak team poised to make noise.
Beau Arriaga caught a 79-yard touchdown pass from Ordunez in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Michael Iriye broke through the middle for a 96-yard touchdown run.
“Right now we’re running the ball well,” Flores said. “It’s good to see the hard work by the offensive line pay off.”
The Hawks’ offensive scored creatively too. In the second quarter, Ordunez pitched to Ethan Natera in the backfield, who threw downfield to Victor Gomez for a 26-yard touchdown.
While Sierra led the Hawks with 122 rushing yards and two touchdowns, he stressed that the Hawks are feeling confident because multiple players are proving to be dangerous. Six different Hawks scored touchdowns and four different defenders nabbed turnovers.
Still, one of the biggest signals of a Mission Oak culture change is evident from the final score.
“Our defense was really kicking themselves about giving up those 7 points,” Flores said.
Mt. Whitney relied on Joey Saavedra on offense, rushing 20 times for 68 yards and a touchdown.
The Pioneers also found success with quarterback Josue Cisneros connecting with receiver Avant DeLeon. He had 9 receptions for 101 yards. Cisneros threw for 148 yards on the night and rushed for another 19.
Mission Oak 56, Mt. Whitney 7
MW 0 7 0 0 — 7
MO 22 14 13 7 — 56
FIRST QUARTER
MO — Jericho Sierra 2 run (Michael Iriye kick), 8:02
MO — Sierra 16 run (Iriye kick), 4:11
MO — Jason Hernandez 16 pass from Matt Ordunez (Josiah DeMacabalin pass to Michael Iriye), 3:47
SECOND QUARTER
MW — Joey Saavedra 1 run (Antonio Grave kick), 7:51
MO — Beau Arriago 79 pass from Ordunez (Iriye kick), 5:31
MO — Victor Gomez 26 pass from Ethan Natera (Iriye kick), 0:21
THIRD QUARTER
MO — Gomez 5 pass from Natera (Iriye kick), 9:20
MO — Michael Iriye 96 run (kick failed), 1:20
FOURTH QUARTER
MO — Leonardo Reynaga 11 run (Julian Pineda kick), 6:19
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — MW: Joey Saavedra 20-68, Josue Cisneros 13-19. MO: Jericho Sierra 13-122, Michael Iriye 5-97, Matt Ordunez 3-41, Leonardo Reynaga 6-38, David Alvarado 1-6, Ethan Natera 1-9.
PASSING — MW: Cisneros 14-30-3 148. MO: Ordunez 9-15-0 161. Natera 3-4-0 36.
RECEIVING — MW: Avant DeLeon 9-101, Jayden Castellon 3-38, Miguel Araiza 1-6, Saavedra 1-3. MO: Victor Gomez 4-50, Beau Arriaga 2-80, Jason Hernandez 3-57, Iriye 1-7, Sierra 1-6, Josiah DeMacabalin 1-(minus) 3.