Southwest Division first look
December 10th, 2008, 5:55 pm · · posted by Damian Calhoun
Southwest Division
Tustin (9-4) vs. La Habra (11-2)
Site, day, time: Angel Stadium, Saturday, 2 p.m.
Outlook: The second-seeded Highlanders advanced to the finals after rallying from a 16-14 third quarter deficit to defeat Trabuco Hills, 27-22. It was the second consecutive playoff game in which La Habra had to come-from-behind to win. It trailed El Dorado 14-7 in the third quarter. La Habra opened the playoffs with an 83-0 victory over Anaheim. The Highlanders rushed for 385 yards against Trabuco Hills, led by Joshua Quezada’s 207. Ronnie Hillman had 120 yards rushing and 53 receiving.
Tustin, Century League tri-champions, has scored 188 points in three playoffs games. Anthony Wilkerson has rushed for 639 yards in the playoffs, including 170 in a 63-28 semifinal victory over Canyon. Tustin has also scored 76 and 49 points in its other playoff games. The Tillers have won three consecutive games and nine of their past 10. La Habra has won eight consecutive since losing to Los Alamitos and San Clemente in October. La Habra has won four CIF championships under coach Frank Mazzotta. This is Tustin’s first CIF final appearance since 1997.
MORE FIRST-LOOK PREVIEWS:
- Southern Division: Laguna Hills vs. Mayfair
- East Valley Division: St. Margaret’s vs. Twentynine Palms
- Pac-5 Division: Tesoro vs. Long Beach Poly
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OC H.S. Sports
Can’t Wait for the game and the tailgate! Make it back to back boys!
I like La Habra’s chances, i don’t like Tustins, the reason being is they are hot right now, and I don’t like that as a La Habra fan, but I will pray and hope the best for my friends on the team, and hope they can pull it off, with the great coaching they have, and the good people involved in that program, people like Cody Verdugo, one of the most kind hearted people on the earth, but a tough coach, and all the fans that travel great distances just to watch the team we love give it their all. Go La Habra.
The Tillers have plowed down the field to many touchdowns in their run for the play-off. They are going to find the Highlanders a tough row to hoe because the Clan defense is probably the fiercest they have faced this season. We have seen week after week La Habra offense make great second efforts to gain yardage and keep play alive a lot longer than most folks in stands thought was possible. The boys playing defense have this same drive to stay on task until the whistle blows. I have seen some outstanding defensive plays this year. Great coaching has made all these boys better players. One thing I have noticed is that every player has been doing their job on the field. I have not seen anyone on the La Habra squad standing there “watching the game.” I will be there cheering on the Highlanders, and will show appreciation for good plays turned in by Tustin. Play well guys, and let your talents shine.
Tustin will have a hard time stopping la habra’s two headed monster on offense. La habra will have a hard time defending the tustin double wing. im going with the over at 100 points!!! seriously!!! I think which ever team gets the least “phased” by angel stadium is the winner. La Habra has shown alot of heart the past two weeks winning games against inferior teams to them athletically (TH and ED) but clearly those games were lose because they got out coached by both TH and ED. Tustin on the other hand has had 3 easy games especially the past 2 with pacifica and canyon. those are easy wins. Truly a toss-up. I havent seen Steve Fryer’s predeiction yet but I wil take the other team. Should be a good one, and like I said expect close to 100 points in this bad boy.
clearly those games were CLOSE because they got out coached by both TH and ED.
tustin running game will kill la habra
tustin by 40 easy game
keep on talking smack tustin were not canyon
Tustin’s running game is very good as is La Habras what may decide the outcome will be La Habras ability to pass better, Also it will be a great matchup of two very good backs Tustin comes with but look for Joe Casey and David Arteaga both great defensive players for La Habra to come up with a big game both of them senior leaders on a very solid La Habra defense its gonna be a real tight game La Habra 31 Tustin 28 Good Luck to both teams but cmon La Habra
Southwest guru is predicting a close game, so this will be a blowout. Nice job on your Canyon predicitions. I was wondering when you would poke your head out of the ground.
La habras defense will be the fastest and strongest that tustin will have faced in these playoffs. They have played against and know how to contain that double wing offense. I think la habras defense will just be too quick for the tillers. And la habras offense will wear down tustins defense with their running game. I see the game being very close in the first half. But la habra pulling away in the second. La Habra 35, Tustin 14.
After watching both teams play quite a bit, I don’t get this two headed monster thing. Unless Hillman has a lot of room he really doesn’ or can’t do a whole lot. On the other hand, Quezada is the real talent! extremely quick, agile, and can take a hit unlike Hillman.
The other side there’s Tustin! now that team has a true two headed monster if you will. Wilkerson is extremely strong, and like a race horse, once out of the gate look out! And second, Webb who appears to be a mirror to Quezada only a lot faster. How Miller hasn’t run this kid more this year is the question of the year.
Last, if Tustin’s line does not get tired, La Habra won’t have a chance. The Highlanders will become the Lowlanders after this game. No score prediction except for Tustin by a lot which the past numbers already show!
Good luck to both teams.
i think la habra will put up a good fight, but in the end tustin will win, la habra had a hard time with us(trabuco) and i feel tustin is just a tad better then us. GO LA HABRA…… watch for trabuco next year
southwest guru. trabuco an inferior team to la habra? i seriously do NOT think so. i believe it was the la habra head coach that said trabuco is the most smashmouth team he has ever seen. we hit hard, run well, pass well. la habra’s defense could not stop us, thats why they went for it on 4th down at the end of the game to win it, which by the way was a great choice. so…… you obviously have NO idea what you are talking about. the over on a hundred what a joke
For all you Wilkerson fans trust me he will not light up La Habras defense they are just too strong although he is a very good back iI would take Joshua Quezada in a heartbeat and for the comment if they dont get tired La Habra wont have a chance, you should think more along the lines of If Tustin cant cover the pass then they wont have a chance.
To thhsbro please remember La Habra did stop you dont you remember them big 3 field goals you kicked because there was no confidence you could get in the zone I guess why else would you settkle for 3 oh i forgot your coach knew you would be “stopped” see ya
bighsfootballfan…..are you kidding me? you would seriously take a fake samoan quezada over arguably the best running back in the county anthony wilkerson? talk about bias. as for la habra’s defense being strong, i have seen the much smaller defensive backs get trucked by a couple of rb’s. i’ll give you that they are really fast but im not so sure about the strength buddy. i completely agree with you on the passing prediction, although tustin has improved the pass defense alot in the previous 2-3 games. and look for tustins d-line to put pressure on the qb, with robinson and tausaga putting pressure the passing game shouldnt be so pretty. but i also agree with chatter on the o-line prediction. overall should be a good game and i look forward to it on saturday.
prediction: tustin 45 la habra 21
All you Tustin fans talk about is the running game! Yeah you have to great backs, but La Habra always tops one dimensional teams, El Dorado and Trabbucco Hills both had a very balanced offense, when you are only looking for one thing it gets easy, La Habras defense is fast, strong and physical, so if Tustin is to win, the better find a way to pass the ball, which i doubt they will think of, when La Habra shuts down the running game Tustin will be forced to pass, which may lead to turn overs in my opinion.
sick pig or whatever your name is – Quezada has never claimed to be Samoan, there you go again opening your big mouth without the facts. Tustin should be ashamed of you.
hills what are you still talking about la habra beat you fair and square so jump on the tustin band wagon ps th you got the crap kicked out of you and the best team was us that night
Tustin one demensional offense? Not gonna work.
Reasons THS won’t win-
LHHS D-line- Led by Jake Peppard (D1Prospect) and Junior Eric Padilla. Fast, big, and can lay the hat. Been playing against much bigger lineman than Tustin has in the past two games, will be a relief to see a smaller line.
LHHS Linebacker core- Led by Joe Casey (D1 Prospect), Extremely fast linebackers that can hit just as hard as anyone in the oc, very well coached too.
LHHS safties- Led by David Arteaga, hardest hitting safety in all orange county.
LHHS offense- Frankly…unstoppable. Nygren, Hillman, Quezada, Gonzalez, Mayoral, and Ghandor. Can’t run it they will pass it, can’t pass it they will run it. Very very versatile.
LHHS gameplan- Anyitme a team comes in with a one demensional offense like troy does with running the ball in the wing t, it always gets stopped. Even when derrick coleman was around, La Habra still stopped them.
Goodluck to Tustin, really…good luck
Tustin wil
Have whatched La Habra all year.They do have a great running game with Quezada, I would take a whole team of guys like him. Strong defense, fair passing game.Wish Hillman would run north and south more rather than east and west and backward.Teams biggest weakness is penalties.Stupid penalties. La Habra seems to lack a certain amount of disciplineon the field. I would give the coaching a “B” grade.But let Tustin be warned if La Habra plays solid, disciplined football it will be a very long afternoon..
Boy, I sure am glad this will be settled on the field on not by some of these awful blogs. Im sure when this game is over both cities will be very proud or their team . I guarantee three things will happen:
1. La Habra’s football team can be found Saturday at Anaheim Stadium
2. This will be a terrific game for all fans
3. Defense wins championships or lack of loses them. La Habra’s defense has been overlooked all season. Look for them to step up BIG one more time.
WE LOVED BEING OVERLOOKED ANAHEIM ED TH AND NOW TUSTIN SHOOTING THERE BIG MOUTH OFF PS KEEP IT UP
T o sigep15 you really should apologize for your comment and I hope that after you think it through you will will see that it was wrong, dude its so ridiculous that you think such a thing and then show how ignorant you are by expressing it on a fan friendly blog, please re consider and do the right thing.
i dont know if la habra pulls this one out the luck is running out in the come from behind wins. i ve like la habra all year but there not playing that touch hard football like in the begining of the year. in the el do game is the OB dosent funble la habra loses. the trabuco hills game if the kid dosent fumble on the one la habra loses again. i just think la habra hasnt face the like of wilkerson and web . wilkseon will wear down the D from la habra and webb will make the big plays . but i am still thinking it will be a close and good game four of the countys best running backs meet sat should be a great one
la habras D is really strong and fast but they still havent faced a wing T offense like tustin. the=is is differetn then troys tustin offense has a defenseive mentality its hard noise football with that offense and it wears a defense out by the fourth quater the only way la habra wins is if its offense is on its a game becasue if u let tustin go up by 2 or more Tds its over
The article lists the two Pac 5 teams that La Habra lost to. What four teams beat Tustin?
Kennedy, Foothill, Orange Lutheran and El Dorado
bring that running game sat were going to stop it ps were not CANYON are 2 loses are from div 1 teams where did your four losses come from so take that to the crapper and talk that spit somewhere else
tustin tustin tustin keep on talking smack we love being overlooked we love being the UNDERDOG
But you’re not the underdog. And you haven’t been a underdog this whole playoff since you’re the #2 seed.
hey chatter arent you an fullerton indian bitterman, why are you even here? and siget15 how low do you got to go?show me 1 kid in the world who works as hard as joshua 365 days a year.NOBODY!!!!and dont even compare wilkerson to josh. if he had the carries wilkerson has he probably have 3000 yds and yes his 0% body fat6ft 190 pds would sustain 13 games, this kids the real deal that hopefully pete carroll and johnie morton see. remember another josh from lhhs, well this ones even better and a very good student and person ,so put up or shut up siget 15. and the b+ on the lhhs coaching ,remember this lhhs30- ths10, 2back tobacks in 6 years ,coach of the year, oc allstar coaching staff.agian put up or shut up.
Well, I called it. First to 21 wins.
Great run my Tillers. Let’s do it again next year, minus the losing in the finals part.
Wow, what agame. La Habra was awfully fast and physical. They just wore down Tustin.
Two different programs.
Coach Miller showed respect during the post game interview.