Yorba Linda football wins D3 CIF championship
YORBA LINDA, Calif. — The school year for most students at Yorba Linda High School typically begins sometime in early September. However, for those students who are a part of the football program, the grind starts much earlier. After countless hours of sweating it out on the field and studying in the film room, these young men earned the right to continue their season all the way into November; That being the time of year when the CIF playoffs roll around. Following an impressive undefeated season, Coach Jeff Bailey and his team were left in a do-or-die scenario and did not blink an eye.
To begin the playoffs, the Mustangs faced off against the Charter Oak Chargers. The game started strong as the team marched down the field for a total of three touchdowns and one field goal, while also not giving up any points in the first half. They then finished the game with a more defensive strategy and ended up winning 31-21, while never trailing throughout the contest. One week later, the second test was underway against Palos Verdes. While this was sure to be a difficult challenge, the team yet again found a way to win. Week three of the playoffs was the last test before earning a ticket to the CIF championship game. Another strong first half for the team led to a convincing win over the Corona Del Mar Sea Kings, still without a second of playing from behind. Finally, there was only one final obstacle in the way of a championship victory: The Upland Highlanders.
The Mustangs鈥� offense enjoyed great success all season long, averaging over 36 points per game. However, the Highlanders’ defense did their homework and made getting into the endzone a difficult task throughout this highly skilled match-up. Luckily for the team, their own defense was up to the challenge as well.
The first numbers to go up on the scoreboard were once again made by the Mustangs. In the first quarter, William Saucedo scored the first touchdown of the night. After not converting on the extra point attempt, that was to be the only score of the first half. Up 6-0, the team returned to the field for what was sure to be a high-intensity end to the game. During the 3rd quarter, Upland was able to put up a touchdown of their own but also failed to convert on the point after. An even ball game of 6-6 heading into the final minutes of the fourth quarter had players and fans alike anxiously awaiting the end result. With less than 10 seconds left in the game, the Mustangs chose to attempt a long field goal which would more than likely secure the game, if successful. Kicker, Jayden Flaig, made his way onto the field, lined up the 42-yard attempt, and kicked the ball so perfectly that any feelings of doubt washed away, as the ball soared through the uprights. Now up 9-6 with four seconds left on the clock, one stop was likely all that was needed to secure the victory. In the following play, the defense yet again showed their will to win by making one last tackle as the clock struck zero.
This win marked the team鈥檚 first CIF championship win since moving up to Division 3 and is a clear sign that Coach Bailey and his staff have the right systems in place to ensure on-field success.
As a YLHS alumnus, it brings me great pride to see the successes that took place on the field this season. From a former student to all who were involved, congratulations on the win, Mustangs!
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