Derek Tran says he’s fluent in Vietnamese. Rep. Michelle Steel’s campaign says he’s not.

• September 6, 2024

Derek Tran is vying to become the first Vietnamese American elected to represent Orange County’s Little Saigon in Congress.

That uniqueness is something Tran, and the Democratic Party, often play up on the campaign trail. Tran has said he is “the only candidate that speaks fluent Vietnamese,” and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of House Democrats, calls Tran “a candidate fluent in Vietnamese.”

In California’s 45th congressional district, where Tran is attempting to unseat two-term incumbent Rep. Michelle Steel, R-Seal Beach, Vietnamese fluency could be critical in reaching out to an electorate in a majority-minority district where the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam resides. But Tran’s ability to fluently speak the language has come under scrutiny after clips of TV interviews began circulating online, where he uses a translator or appears to struggle to understand a basic question asked in Vietnamese.

In an interview earlier this year with Saigon Entertainment Television based in Garden Grove, a translator stepped in to correct Tran when he misunderstood a question asking him how many years he served in the Army. Tran, instead, answered by talking about what he’s done as a lawyer.

Tran’s campaign declined to comment directly on his Vietnamese proficiency but provided a series of video clips in which Tran speaks the language.

In some of those clips, including an interview on Saigon Broadcasting Television Network, the host asks his question first in Vietnamese, then in English, after which Tran responds in English. In other clips, including an interview on Phố Bolsa TV, Tran appears to understand the question posed in Vietnamese, but he responds in English.

In another interview with Saigon Broadcasting Television Network, Tran speaks in Vietnamese without a translator for the majority of the interview while reverting to English briefly here and there — similar to a Zoom fundraiser by the Nguoi Viet Channel, where Tran speaks in Vietnamese without a translator before reverting to English.

Another clip shows reporters asking questions of Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democratic contender for U.S. Senate, at an August campaign stop in Santa Ana. One reporter asks Schiff, around the 52:57 mark, what he thought of the event, if he has any advice for Tran and whether he’ll come back to Orange County, then tells Tran, “I’d like you to translate.”

After Schiff’s response, the reporter again asks Tran, around the 54:43 mark, if he would translate what Schiff said, but a campaign staff member intervenes and says time is up. Tran, as a result, did not translate Schiff’s response.

In a recently published interview with the Los Angeles Times, which the campaign said was done several weeks ago, Tran said Vietnamese was his first language, but he has lost his childhood fluency. He uses a translator “because I don’t want any of my messaging to get lost from my broken Vietnamese,” he said.

Will it matter in November?

In CA-45, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, close to 40% of residents are Asian, and more than four in 10 of them identify as Vietnamese. The district encompasses Little Saigon, a collection of Vietnamese-heavy neighborhoods in Garden Grove, Westminster and Fountain Valley, and Buena Park, home to one of several officially-recognized Koreatowns in Southern California. CA-45 also picks up Cerritos and Artesia in Los Angeles County, both where Asian residents make up the largest racial group.

David Nguyen, a registered Republican voter who resides in Fountain Valley within the CA-45 boundaries, said he believes most Vietnamese Americans understand that there is a wide range of fluency.

“I’m in Tran’s position where I can speak Vietnamese but not as fluently as I would like,” Nguyen, 47, said. “That makes it harder to connect with older Vietnamese, but a lot of older Vietnamese are very forgiving if you make mistakes because they have children who can’t speak it fluently … they actually admire that you try.”

“As a Vietnamese American who’s also Vietnamese challenged, the definition of fluency is wide,” Nguyen continued. “I consider myself fluent in Vietnamese, but I speak it in a conversational way.”

To Long Bui, an international studies professor at UC Irvine, Tran’s comments about his Vietnamese fluency “comes off as personal exaggeration, typical of political campaigning.”

“Fluency can mean many things, including the fact that a candidate can speak in a casual conversation fluently,” said Bui, who studies generational differences around homeland politics. “But technical terms about commerce, the law, and government can be harder to express.”

While language fluency is important to the Vietnamese American community, Bui said, there are translation tools they can use.

But Steel’s campaign is attempting to paint Tran as dishonest. Lance Trover, a spokesperson for the congresswoman, said lying about speaking Vietnamese in this district is “borderline disqualifying with voters.”

“For everyone inside the Beltway who continues entertaining the DCCC’s spin that Derek Tran is some kind of star recruit, the last two weeks of stories uncovering his lies should be a wake-up call,” he said.

Orrin Evans, Tran’s spokesperson, responded: “Steel’s corruption is translatable into any language and voters see right through her attempt to distract from the fact that her former colleague and long-time ally Andrew Do is being investigated by the FBI for stealing taxpayer funds,” alluding to Steel scrubbing her campaign website of endorsements from Do, an Orange County supervisor who is facing mounting calls to step down amid allegations the nonprofit he directed millions of dollars in COVID relief funds to instead embezzled the funds meant for feeding the elderly.

The race in California’s 45th congressional district has grown increasingly more volatile as the countdown to Election Day continues. It’s one where election forecasts have begun to move toward being more favorable for Democrats: Election analyst Cook Political Report today changed its rating of the race from “lean Republican” to “Republican toss up,” and Inside Elections, a newsletter that provides campaign analysis, also recently changed its rating of the race to “tilt Republican.”

In June, Tran was criticized by dozens of local leaders and organizations for saying Steel, who was born in South Korea and grew up in Japan, “came to this country for economic gain.” Steel has said her parents fled communism in North Korea.

“Michelle still tries to run on that she’s a refugee or she tried to flee communism. No, that’s not true at all,” Tran told Punchbowl News. “She came to this country for economic gain. That’s not the same as losing one’s country after the fall of Saigon in ’75 and having no home.”

Tom K. Wong, an associate professor of political science at UC San Diego, said this is “likely not the last time” voters will see identity-based attacks as Steel and Tran continue to fight to win the support of the large Vietnamese community in the district.

Broadly speaking, Wong said co-ethnic voters value authenticity because they want to believe that a candidate is “one of us.”

“Thus, if an opponent can cast a candidate as inauthentic, this can significantly erode support among co-ethnic voters,” he said.

Voters in CA-45 are no stranger to campaign attacks based on candidates’ identities.

In 2022, the midterm race between Steel and Democrat Jay Chen was marked heavily by accusations of racism and red-baiting. After Steel had utilized campaign material that portrayed Chen, a Taiwanese American, as a communist sympathizer, an Asian American PAC rescinded its support of her.

Chen, on the other hand, was accused of mocking Steel’s accent. He had said in a closed-door meeting that people needed an interpreter to understand Steel.

Chen, a Mt. San Antonio College trustee, has publicly endorsed Tran. On X, formerly known as Twitter, Chen has repeatedly criticized Steel this cycle, alleging that she will be behind racist ads to voters in CA-45 to “scare up votes in the Vietnamese community.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Freeway sign can’t be depended on for ramp-closure times

• September 6, 2024

Q. Caltrans is working on the northbound 5 Freeway on-ramp from Alicia Parkway and has been doing so for months. The sign says it could be closed from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., yet workers sometimes close down the on-ramp much earlier. Just Wednesday, it was closed well before 9 p.m. and, needless to say, it forces a circuitous re-route and makes it difficult to plan around. Can they just start anytime they wish?

– Michael Gamerl, Laguna Beach

A. Well, kinda …

Although Caltrans is largely responsible for our freeway system, other agencies jump in and build and remodel stuff, such as in this case, Michael.

The Orange County Transportation Authority is spending $664 million on 6.5 miles of the 5, from Lake Forest into Mission Viejo. A regular lane, both north and south, is getting added and so is a second carpool lane for part of the stretch. Projected to be completed early next year, some street sections and interchanges are getting makeovers, too.

“The stationary signs the reader is referring to are informational signs put in place around 2019 when the project began to give drivers a general idea of when to expect overnight closures,” said Eric Carpenter, an OCTA spokesman, in an email.

The California Highway Patrol, OCTA officials and the project contractor are involved in such closures.

“This process … is often decided in the field and results in closures of on-ramps and off-ramps at earlier hours to set up (a) safe work environment,” Carpenter said.

But why is there a need to go outside the time listed on such signs?

Joel Zlotnik, another OCTA spokesman, told Honk that to shut a freeway lane down to work on, it can close a ramp as well.

“This work can’t be done behind the K-rail, and it takes more time to set up to help ensure a safe work zone,” he said. “Allowing for a longer work window also helps keep the project on schedule as we near the finish line. … We understand it’s inconvenient and really appreciate the patience of the community.”

Michael, it’s frustrating to come across an unexpected closure, for sure. Honk isn’t one to sign up for email or text alerts on ramp closures, but you can if you want to for this project at octa.net/i5south.

Q. Hey Honk: Is it true that hands on the steering wheel at 10 and 2 is no longer recommended? I read that hands in that placement could cause injury in the event of an accident when the airbag is inflated. Would hands at 9 and 3 provide the same level of control?

– Barry Riemer, West Covina

A. All Honk can tell you on this one, Barry, is what the experts say.

These days, the Department of Motor Vehicles suggests tooling about with our paws at 9 and 3 o’clock, or at 8 and 4.

Both positions work with the “hand-to-hand” technique, the DMV says on its website: “Keep your hands in these positions, even when making turns.”

Or, with the 8-and-4 approach, you can also do the “hand-over-hand” strategy.

And, yes, you have it right.

“Those positions would minimize possible damage from the airbag,” said Marie Montgomery Nordhues, a spokeswoman for the Automobile Club of Southern California.

Should the airbags deploy, if using one of the newer suggested hands-on-wheel positions, the chances are better that our arms and hands won’t be pushed rather rudely into our faces.

To ask Honk questions, reach him at [email protected]. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk

​ Orange County Register 

Thomas Elias: Why Kamala Harris’ gender continues to be downplayed by her own campaign

• September 6, 2024

Kamala Harris has been a trailblazer in politics for most of the last two decades, giving more and more young women a sense of unlimited possibility.

But on the night she accepted the Democratic presidential nomination, only one national convention speaker stressed the fact she is but the second woman so nominated and just the third female to make a national ticket.

That speaker was Hillary Clinton, the first woman nominated for president and the winner of the popular vote in 2016 by almost 3 million, a margin that once all but guaranteed Electoral College victory but has not for the last two decades, which featured two of only three American presidents elected with a minority of votes.

Clinton, who stressed her then-unique status as a female at the top of a presidential ticket, spoke of “cracking this last glass ceiling,” and fervently hoped Harris would bust it wide open.

But Clinton has a different perspective from Harris, perhaps because she is almost 17 years older. It’s much like younger women today who cannot remember when married or engaged women were denied jobs legally because they might become pregnant. That discrimination was fully authorized until court decisions of the 1980s used an earlier Civil Rights Act to ban it.

Now women occupy positions of authority in a host of fields, including law, medicine and clergy. More than 56 percent of current law school students are women. And in 2023, 54.6 percent of medical school students were females, having become the majority in 2020. Both men and women by now are accustomed to representation and treatment by skilled females.

Millions of American churchgoers also are used to hearing women deliver sermons from myriad pulpits. Every Anglican denomination ordains women priests, along with most Lutheran and Presbyterian churches, while both Reform and Conservative Jewish denominations ordain women rabbis.

But there remains considerable resistance to female clergy, where fields like law and medicine have no problems with women, who occupied less than 5 percent of student slots in those fields just 100 years ago.

The Roman Catholic church remains the largest resistor to women in pastoral roles, but Mormons, Southern Baptists, Southern Methodists, some Pentecostal churches, Muslims and Orthodox Jews also allow no female clergy.

But the indications are more women will be in more positions of authority in the future. Example: Caltech, one of America’s premiere colleges, now has its first majority female freshman class.

Taken together, all this has made it ever easier for both men and women to accept females in positions of authority.

That’s probably one reason Harris’ gender drew so little note during the four weeks she took to solidify herself as the Democratic nominee before the party convention. It’s also likely why her gender was not a major focus of either conventional speeches or her own almost hourlong acceptance speech.

Yes, Harris has had to walk something of a tightrope: She’s had to project strength without aggressiveness, boldness without being strident, physical attractiveness without vanity, and caring without submissiveness.

But she’s long handled those complications without much problem. As district attorney of San Francisco, attorney general of California and vice president, Harris burst through previous glass ceilings without offending many very masculine men.

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It was the same this summer as she vetted and interviewed possible vice presidential running mates. The likes of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and eventual nominee Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, had no qualms about accepting her as their boss.

Some of these men epitomize masculinity, but none quailed at the notion of serving a female occupying arguably the world’s most powerful political position.

Walz displayed nothing but comfort after his selection, seemingly having no trouble ceding the limelight and most public attention to Harris during bus tours and at the convention itself.

So anyone expecting her to act timid or fearful of Trump in their first debate (and others that may follow) probably doesn’t know Harris very well.

She may turn out to be the ideal candidate for this time, and if that’s so, it will be because of the success of myriad other women who broke through to their own successes and authoritative stature.

Email Thomas Elias at [email protected].

​ Orange County Register 

High school football: Scores form Thursday’s games, Sept. 5

• September 6, 2024

All of the scores from the Week 2 high school football games Thursday, Sept. 5.

CIF SOUTHERN SECTION

Nonleague

Buena 23, Fillmore 19

West Ranch 36, Antelope Valley 14

Century 40, Azusa 14

Westminster La Quinta 41, Bassett 6

Bloomington 38, Rubidoux 11

La Canada 41, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 0

Covina 45, Diamond Ranch 39

Los Amigos 33, Irvine University 14

West Covina 41, El Rancho 14

Norte Vista 36, Fontana 28

Foothill 55, Orange 35

Granite Hills 41, Hesperia 14

Estancia 21, Katella 7

La Quinta 13, Rancho Verde 6

Northwood 24, Garden Grove Pacifica 0

King 24, JW North 14

Jurupa Valley 38, Ontario 12

Palm Desert 7, Elsinore 0

Pioneer 47, Magnolia 0

Rim of the World 31, Perris 14

Hacienda Heights Wilson 36, Rowland 22

San Jacinto 19, Yorba Linda 16

San Bernardino 27, Arroyo Valley 0

Beaumont 34, Summit 0

Temecula Valley 19, Temescal Canyon 14

Tustin 42, El Dorado 10

Victor Valley 42, Twentynine Palms 0

Murrieta Mesa 28, Valencia 22

Schurr 27, Village Christian 18

Whittier 24, Rosemead 6

San Marino 23, South Torrance 22 (OT)

Xavier Prep 47, Riverside Notre Dame 0

Franklin 21, San Gabriel 0

Lynwood Firebaugh 40, View Park 12

L.A. CITY SECTION

Nonleague

Chatsworth 21, Manual Arts 12

Crenshaw 8, L.A. Hamilton 6

Huntington Park 40, Fremont 0

Jefferson 48, Torres 0

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​ Orange County Register 

Tustin football rolls to win over El Dorado with revised offense

• September 6, 2024

PLACENTIA — Eimesse Essis scored three first-half touchdowns and Jon Ioane had two touchdown passes to help Tustin’s football team improve to 3-0 with a 42-10 win over El Dorado on Thursday night at Valencia High.

Tillers coach Anthony Lopez admitted the entire offense changed once their projected starter at quarterback, Michael “Butter” Tollefson, was ruled ineligible to play for the Tillers this season by CIF-SS, but the team has come together despite the adversity.

“We love the kid, he is missed tremendously from our team and we built a whole offense around him but we still gotta play on Friday nights,” Lopez said, referring to Tollefson. “So we put something together on offense. We have a lot of guys going both ways and they’re doing a tremendous job and that’s really what our team is built on, guys doing their job and leaning on each other.”

Ioane stepped up with 175 yards passing and two touchdowns. The sophomore defensive lineman, who is listed at 6-foot-3, 290 pounds, has a throwing arm that matches his enormous stature.

“The kid’s never played quarterback in his life but stepped up when the team needed him,” Lopez said. “He’s our 3-technique (lineman), but he has a phenomenal arm and we knew we could take some shots (down field) and that really helps the run game.”

Khalil Terry’s first-quarter interception helped set up Tustin’s first score.

“Our defense has done an amazing job for us this year,” Lopez said. “They put the offense in good positions.”

After the interception, Ioane connected with Essis on a fourth-down screen pass that went for a 19-yard TD.

Essis doubled his touchdown tally on another fourth-down scenario as the senior took a handoff 21 yards to the house to make it 14-0.

Tustin RB Eimesse Essis scored 3 TDs in the Tillers 42-10 win over El Dorado. The senior running back gives credit to all the offseason work and his offensive line for the great start. Essis also praises @jonnioane for stepping in to play QB. @ocvarsity @Tiller_Football… pic.twitter.com/MiNXxsZSDm

— David Delgado🇪🇨 (@DavidDelgado_OC) September 6, 2024

Essis added an 11-yard TD run in the second quarter after a 49-yard completion on a double-pass from Ioane to Chris Perez, who found Rufai Azeez open down field.

“Eimesse does his thing, just like he does every game.” Lopez said.

Tre Cushionberry added two touchdowns for the Tillers, one on a 37-yard reverse in the second quarter and the other on a 31-yard reception in the third quarter to make it 36-3.

Tustin running back Jeremiah Williams recovered a fumble in the end zone in the third quarter to give the Tillers a 42-3 lead late in the third quarter.

The Tillers defense collected a pair of interceptions. One of them went to Jalen Gay, and Tustin recorded three sacks as it pressured Mitchell Schroth for most of the game.

El Dorado (1-2) got on the board as time expired in the first half thanks to a 29-yard field goal by Nathan Tierney. It added a 4-yard touchdown run by JP Murray in the fourth quarter.

Tustin kicker Nathan Ixta connected on a 29-yard field goal in the second quarter.

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​ Orange County Register 

Foothill football uses potent attack to beat Orange in high-scoring battle

• September 6, 2024

ORANGE – When it seemed like defenses need not apply between Foothill and Orange on Thursday, it was the Knights that made the key stops and answered with big plays.

Foothill quarterback Gino Marchetti accounted for seven total touchdowns, three with his arm and another four with his legs, as the Knights outpaced Orange 55-35 at El Modena High.

“Kids had a good week of practice,” Foothill coach Doug Case said. “It was the short week, and it was probably beneficial for us (after losing to Tustin 42-24 last week). We needed to get right back in the saddle and executing again… We have to shore some stuff up still, but it’s game three. Kids hung in there, and I’m proud of them.”

Foothill (2-1) goes on the road to play Troy on Friday, Sept. 13. Orange (0-3) is at La Habra.

Marchetti paced a potent Foothill attack from the game’s opening drive, where he opened the scoring with a 27-yard, highlight-reel scamper. Marchetti was flushed right from the pocket, and the 6-foot-6 senior danced down the sideline, around and through Orange defenders for the score.

Marchetti completed 12 of 16 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns – 43 yards to senior Jesus Martinez, 47 yards to senior Mike Galey and 53 yards to junior Luke Smith – and carried the ball 10 times for 73 yards and four touchdown runs, including three quarterback sneaks.

“He’s maturing every week. He had eight reps last year as a junior,” Case said. “The game is slowing down for him. He’s figuring out where I’m trying to place the ball. He really did a great job running the ball.”

Foothill QB Gino Marchetti threw for 3 TDs and ran for 4TDs, as the Knights (2-1) bounced back in a 55-35 road win over Orange (0-3).

The 6-foot-6 senior signal-caller completed 12 of 16 passes for 221 yards and ran for 73 yards. @ocvarsity @GoFoothill @GinoMarchetti19 pic.twitter.com/41LHCfn44c

— Zach Cavanagh (@ZachCav) September 6, 2024

Foothill senior running back Nathan Gouvion also carried the ball 23 times for 113 yards.

On the other side, Orange freshman quarterback Star Thomas kept up his high volume of work, completing 23 of 39 pass attempts for 336 yards and three touchdown passes and one interception. Gianni Porfilio caught seven passes for 167 yards and all three touchdown receptions.

Foothill led by 21 points at halftime, 35-14, but Orange came out swinging in the second half.

The Panthers opened with a 14-yard touchdown run by Jordan Hardaway, a fourth-down stop of Foothill and a 64-yard touchdown pass from Thomas to Porfilio to cut the lead to 35-28.

However, Foothill locked in, and three plays later, Marchetti hit a wide-open Galey for the 47-yard touchdown and the two-score lead.

Foothill junior Andrew Arrazola stepped up for an interception on the next Orange possession, and Marchetti topped off the ensuing drive by bouncing off the goal-line pile for a 2-yard sneak touchdown and a 20-point lead, 48-28.

TOUCHDOWN: Foothill pushing back out again.

After an interception of Orange, Knights take advantage of the short field. Marchetti bounces off the pile for his third TD run of the game.

Foothill 48, Orange 28 – 3:15 3Q @ocvarsity @GoFoothill pic.twitter.com/nCT9oQXdyl

— Zach Cavanagh (@ZachCav) September 6, 2024

Orange and Foothill traded fourth-quarter scores, including a 23-yard showcase throw from Thomas to Porfilio for the Panthers and a 1-yard extension over the pile by Marchetti for Foothill.

The game began fast and furious as both teams scored on the first five combined drives of the game with Foothill opening up a 21-14 lead. Orange converted three fourth-down attempts on its opening two drives.

After grabbing the lead again, Foothill came up with the game’s first defensive stops to begin pulling away.

Orange was finally stopped on fourth down at midfield, and Foothill engineered a 10-play scoring drive with a 1-yard touchdown sneak by Marchetti, 28-14.

Orange’s next drive went backwards, and as the Panthers punted from their own end zone, Preston Smith snagged the shanked kick in stride to waltz in for a 17-yard punt return touchdown and a 21-point lead going into halftime, 35-14.

During Foothill’s previous scoring drive, a member of the officiating crew was taken to the sidelines for heat exhaustion and attended to by the Orange training staff. After lying on the ground for several minutes, an ambulance and paramedics arrived to take him off for further care before halftime.

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​ Orange County Register 

Defense stars again for Northwood football in shutout of Pacifica

• September 6, 2024

IRVINE — Northwood’s defense continued its streak of dominant play in a 24-0 win over Pacifica Thursday in a nonleague football game at Irvine High.

The Timberwolves (3-0) have allowed just one offensive touchdown this season through three games. Northwood’s starting defense held Pacifica (1-2) to 103 yards of total offense with four first downs.

“I couldn’t be happier,” Northwood coach JC Clarke said. “After 27 years of running ‘the bear’ defense, we switched it up this year and it’s working better than I thought.”

Northwood forced three turnovers and allowed Pacifica to cross the 50-yard line only once.

“It’s been amazing. We have had hiccups on offense but the defense has always been there to have their backs,” Northwood senior Joseph Harper said. “When the offense clicks and we are firing on all cylinders, I think this team is going to be really great.”

Harper, who has been a two-way starter all four of his years at Northwood, ran for 66 yards with two touchdowns and recovered a fumble on defense.

“He’s a special player just like his older brother (Adam Harper) was,” Clarke said.

It took over 20 minutes of game time for Northwood to score its first points. The Timberwolves’ first three possessions of the game resulted in a missed field goal, a turnover on downs and a lost fumble.

After a fumble recovery by Harper, he capped a 60-yard scoring drive with a rushing touchdown to end the scoreless tie.

Harper said the play of the defense kept the team calm while the offense struggled early.

“A lot of that is the defense. We made mistakes and turned it over in the red zone, but the defense got a three-and-out and we were back,” Harper said. “I said, ‘you guys block and I’ll score,’ and once we get that first touchdown, the rest will come.”

Final: Northwood 24, Pacifica 0
Joseph Harper (below) had 2 touchdowns and recovered a fumble. Northwood’s starting defense has allowed just one touchdown this season. @SoCalVarsity @Northwood_FB @JosephHarper_8 @SteveFryer @latsondheimer @ocvarsityguy pic.twitter.com/zfFPcqZOc0

— Michael Huntley (@mikehuntley63) September 6, 2024

Cole Hidalgo intercepted a Pacifica pass deep into Mariners territory. Gavin Lounsbury threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Donald Longo to give Northwood a 14-0 lead entering halftime.

Lounsbury threw for 149 yards with a touchdown. Hidalgo led all receivers with 93 yards on eight receptions.

Pacifica struggled offensively all game but particularly in the first half. The Mariners did not get a first down until there was one minute remaining in the second quarter and had just 67 yards of offense in the first half.

Running back Jack Brucker drove the Timberwolves down the field and Harper ran for a 2-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 21-0.

Brucker led Northwood in rushing with 109 yards on 18 carries.

After a fumble recovery by Quintin Lynch, Hidalgo made a 20-yard field goal for the Timberwolves.

Ryan Armenta had a fumble recovery for Pacifica and Jerad Verdure had a sack.

Ethan McLaughlin threw for 80 yards and Michael Lee ran for 55 yards.

Northwood won two consecutive CIF-SS championships in 2021-22 and will play in a tough Foxtrot League this season with teams that have been in higher playoff divisions than the Timberwolves.

“I think we can compete with anybody in our league,” Harper said. “It’s a tough league. There are a lot of great players and big teams in this league. I know we aren’t favored, but I think we can surprise some people.

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​ Orange County Register 

San Jacinto football rallies to beat Yorba Linda with TD in final minute

• September 6, 2024

YORBA LINDA — San Jacinto overcame a 10-point halftime deficit, held Yorba Linda scoreless in the second half and made big plays down the stretch on third and fourth downs to come away with a 19-16 victory over the Mustangs in a nonleague football game Thursday night at Yorba Linda High.

The Tigers (2-1) also took advantage of some critical miscues by the Mustangs (2-1) late in the game.

Yorba Linda had a difficult time containing Tigers quarterback Jaylen Patterson, who completed 23 of 34 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns.

Patterson’s 20-yard touchdown pass to Daylen Love with just over one minute remaining wound up being the difference.

The touchdown came on a fourth-and-4 play, capping an 80-yard drive in which the Tigers converted on a third-and-5 from their 25, fourth-and-9 from their 45, third-and-11 from the Yorba Linda 40 and finally the 20-yard touchdown on fourth down.

“That’s something we work on in practice in certain situations when we’re backed up,” Tigers coach Aric Galliano said. “They did a great job of executing, off the week we had, the short week with the holiday, all the heat restrictions and not being able to get out and practice.”

In the third quarter, Patterson connected with Daishaun Davis for a 45-yard touchdown on a third-and-9 play.

“Everybody knows the one thing that he has is his feet to keep things alive,” Galliano said. “And that helps us out up front and the wide receivers continuing to work and doing a great job.”

After the go-ahead touchdown, a short kick on the ensuing kickoff gave the Mustangs possession on the Tigers 47 with a minute remaining, plenty of time to get into field goal range and tie the score with a field goal or even win with a touchdown.

But the Tigers recovered a fumble on first down and ran out the clock.

The Mustangs had chances to put the game away earlier but couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities.

The game-winning drive came after the Mustangs missed a 26-yard field goal, which would have put them ahead by a touchdown.

In the sequence that ended with the missed field goal, Yorba Linda blocked a punt and took possession on the San Jacinto 15.

But the Mustangs failed to convert on a third-and-9 which then prompted the field goal attempt.

In the first quarter, Yorba Linda’s Thomas Knutson scooped up a fumble and returned it 35 yards to the Tigers 36.

Yorba Linda converted the takeaway to a 2-yard touchdown run from Vaughn Sharp, giving the Mustangs a 7-0 lead.

Cole Nerio’s 25-yard touchdown run in the second quarter gave the Mustangs a 13-6 lead.

But the Mustangs could only manage a field goal from there.

“We were great at the start,” Yorba Linda coach Jeff Baily said. “We made enough mistakes to let them in the game, and then they took advantage of it. With our schedule, we’re not going to beat a team like that making those mistakes.”

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​ Orange County Register