Western High could not keep pace with Huntington Beach as the Oilers pulled away for a 48-7 non-league win on Thursday at Huntington Beach High. The Pioneers had no answer to Oiler junior quarterback Brady Edmunds, who threw for 351 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for two more scores.
It was a rematch of last year’s first round playoff game that saw the Oilers win a shootout 56-39. But the Pioneer offense could not keep pace this time as the Oiler defense bent but did not break. Pioneer quarterback Chance Thomas threw for 266 yards, and ran for the Pioneers’ only score. The ground game compiled 115 yards, but most of the Pioneers’ drives stalled short. A big pass play from Thomas to Maxwell got the Pioneers into the red zone, where Thomas capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown run. That cut the Oiler lead to 14-7 midway through the second quarter, but that would be as close as Western would get.
Edmunds answered the scoring drive quickly, as he hit junior receiver Dylin Bruce for a 42-yard touchdown that put the Oilers back on top, 21-7. On the Pioneers next possession, they were forced to punt, but when the snap was low, the punter’s knee touched the ground as he went down to field the snap. By rule, he was down and the Oilers took over inside the Western 10 yard line. Edmunds would later score on a one-yard run.
Edmunds connected with Steel Kurtz for a touchdown just before the half, as the Oilers took a 34-7 lead into halftime. Kurtz and Bruce had two touchdown receptions each, and junior receiver Troy Foster had 184 yards receiving and one touchdown.
Western will host La Mirada at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Western High. Huntington Beach will host Redondo Union at 7 p.m. on Friday at Huntington Beach High.
