BREA — The Brea Olinda football team, in its quest to go undefeated in the regular season, was put to the test in the Kappa League finale against Esperanza on Friday at Brea Olinda High School.
In a way, it was tested more than it had been in its previous nine games combined.
In a game that had to be decided in overtime, Brea Olinda got possession first in the extra period and quarterback Cullen Doyle connected with Brandon Elder for a 7-yard touchdown to give the Wildcats the lead.
Then it was Esperanza’s turn, and on first down from the Brea Olinda 25, sophomore safety Logan King intercepted a pass from Aztecs quarterback Travis Frazier to complete a 36-29 victory for the Wildcats.
King also returned an interception for a 42-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
The Wildcats, who are 10-0 overall and went 5-0 in league, advance to the CIF-SS playoffs as the Kappa League’s first-place team. The Wildcats finished the regular season unbeaten and untied for the first time since 2001, when they went on to defeat Buena Park, 45-15, in the CIF-SS Division IX championship.
Segerstrom (7-3, 4-1), which defeated Garden Grove 47-19 in a Kappa League game Friday, finishes second in the league standing. The Aztecs (6-4, 3-2) advance to the playoffs as the league’s third-place team.
“This group of guys, ever since freshman year, we’ve had that mentality,” said Doyle, who completed 11 of 21 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns. “In the freshmen game for the league championship, we had to battle there too. It’s kind of just in our blood.”
Brea Olinda led 29-21 late in the contest when its punt gave Esperanza possession at the Wildcats 45-yard line.
However, the Wildcats were called for two personal fouls and a holding penalty on the punt. All three penalties were enforced, giving Esperanza possession on the Brea Olinda 11.
With 14 seconds remaining in the game, Frazier, who passed for 301 yards and four touchdowns, hit Eddie Matthews for an 11-yard touchdown on first down and then hit Coen Ali on the 2-point conversion to make the score 29-29, sending the game to overtime.
The Wildcats realized early in the contest their attempt to go undefeated in the regular season was in jeopardy when Frazier threw a pair of touchdown passes, one for 18-yards to Edward Khutshivili followed by an 83-yard scoring pass to Matthews.
Then the Wildcats, who punted on their first two possessions, scored four consecutive touchdowns.
The first score came on a 59-yard drive capped by Ryan Nero’s 10-yard touchdown run on an end-around.
After forcing the Aztecs to a three-and-out, Brea Olinda came right back with a 59-yard scoring drive, with Nathan Aceves breaking through the line for a 1-yard touchdown run to make the score 14-13.
In the third quarter, Doyle connected with Ryan Nero for a 26-yard score and then King’s interception return gave the Wildcats a 29-20 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
“I haven’t been prouder of a team in 20 years than this moment right now,” Esperanza coach Jason Presley said.
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