Tough matchup looms on homecoming

There could be another mad rush tonight at Guyer Field.

For the second consecutive week, the Laguna Beach football team will try to slow a team known for its potent rushing attack when the Breakers host Francis Parker of the CIF San Diego Section.

Laguna’s homecoming game begins at 7 p.m.

Francis Parker runs what Breakers Coach Jonathan Todd calls the “Utah triple option,” and the Lancers have been great at putting that offense into motion.

Last week, Laguna had to contend with a run-oriented Garden Grove team that ended up producing close to 370 yards on the ground, and it resulted in a 42-24 nonleague victory for the Argonauts.

Now comes a Francis Parker offense that has been near unstoppable the last three weeks.

“They are a very, very good football team,” Todd said of the Lancers. “They are really athletic across the board and the game will be a big challenge for us. I really think that they will be the best team we will face.”

Todd said he saw several positives come out of last week’s loss to undefeated Garden Grove, namely, with his offensive unit. He praised the play of linemen Sharif Elseify, Mitchell McMullin, Kyle Jenkins, Louis Ocampo and Ryan Raffo.

Their work, he said, played a big part in Laguna’s continuity on offense for a second straight week.

The Breakers scored 24 points on a Garden Grove team that hadn’t given up more than 15 points to an opponent in its two previous games. The 24 points also came on the heel of a season-high 37 points in a 37-7 win over St. Monica on Sept. 26.

“Our line has played really well these past couple of weeks,” Todd said. “The one thing I took from that Garden Grove game is that our offense continued to click. We got close to 400 yards of offense, and our line really provided good pass protection.”

Laguna will need to be on all cylinders if it hopes to stay with a Francis Parker squad that has won three straight games “” impressively, too “” since dropping its season opener.

In their last three games, the Lancers have scored no less than 46 points. During that span, they have defeated Faith Lutheran of Las Vegas (46-14), Southwest of El Centro (63-12) and just last week, spotted La Jolla County Day a seven-point lead before ripping off 76 unanswered points in a 76-7 spanking.

“Those scores are scary,” Todd said. “They have an offense that can really explode. Stopping their three backs is the key for us.”

Those “three backs” are Demaree Harris, Devin Clark and quarterback Deon Randall, and they’re are just a portion of a balanced run game. Combined, the trio has rushed for 601 yards and 11 touchdowns. A fourth back, Kenny Bookins, gives the Lancers an even more dangerous backfield.

The Lancers also have an imposing two-way lineman in 6-foot, 280-pound Wayman Yeldell.

“We have to play assignment football, it’s that simple, because they fake one way and then go the other,” Todd said. “Any one of their backs can hurt you.”

Last week against Garden Grove, Laguna quarterback Austin Paxson rushed for two scores, Alec Jaffe scored the first Breakers touchdown on a 39-yard run and John Snedegar connected on a 28-yard field goal.

Francis Parker is the final nonleague opponent for Laguna, which next week begins Orange Coast League play against Godinez.

“There are several things I’m looking for this week, but the main thing is that I hope we continue to improve,” Todd said.

“I want us to play as hard as we can, tackle well, see the offense move the ball as well as it has been the past few weeks and just be fundamentally sound. I’d like to take a performance like that into our league season next week.”

MIKE SCIACCA covers sports. He can be reached at (949) 494-4321 or by e-mail at [email protected].