IRVINE – Woodbridge’s improbable football journey took another step forward on Friday when the Warriors won for the fourth time – their only four wins this season – in the last five games.
On its home field in the CIF Southern Section Division 13 quarterfinals, Woodbridge used its magic, or providence, or plain dumb luck to score a 23-16 victory over Buena Park.
“What I can count on is guys who do not give up whether they start 0-7 or are down by six points with two minutes left,” first-year Woodbridge coach Connor McBridge said. “I’m a believer in good karma when you don’t give up.”
Score one for karma.
The victory avenged the Warriors’ only loss in the last five games, 22-14, to Buena Park in the Omicron League finale. That result created a three-way tie for third place that included both teams.
Woodbridge improved to 4-8. Buena Park dropped to 6-6.
Just as they did in 2023, the Coyotes couldn’t get past the second round. But they came close.
“I’m proud of these kids, they could have easily given up,” Buena Park coach Mauricio Carmona said. “We’ve just got to execute. No excuses. I know it’s not the outcome they wanted, but they’re going to remember it the rest of their lives.”
Buena Park took a 16-15 lead with 7:26 remaining when Joshua Santillan – one of three quarterbacks the Coyotes used – scored from 13 yards to complete a nifty nine-play, 59-yard drive.
Right after that, the rain stopped, though conditions remained wet.
Woodbridge had a drive that stalled at midfield, and Buena Park went three-and-out on its ensuing possession. But when it tried to punt from its own 34, the snap was high, fumbled, and picked up – but lost 29 yards.
With a two-yard penalty attached to the end of the play, Woodbridge took over at the Buena Park 2. David Bosley promptly ran into the end zone for a 21-15 advantage. Kayjahn Pitts ran in the two-point conversion for the final margin with 2:46 remaining.
And just like that, Woodbridge positioned itself to play at Saddleback in the semifinals, provided it could survive Buena Park’s final possession.
The Coyotes moved from their 16 to the 24 before a pair of passes in the final 28 seconds fell incomplete.
The Coyotes didn’t complete any of their four passes during the game. Quarterback Jacob Morales – who was starting in place of injured Kevin Garcia – didn’t attempt a pass but ran 11 times for 70 yards. Elias Chavez carried 17 times for 111 yards to lead Buena Park.
Buena Park took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. Pedro Arpeitia kicked a 32-yard field goal, and the next possession ended on a 39-yard run by Morales, who left the game in the second quarter with an injury. The touchdown was preceded by a bad snap on a Woodbridge punt that resulted in a two-yard loss.
If the fourth-quarter attempted punt was the biggest play of the game, the second-biggest was a Morales fumble on Buena Park’s third drive that was recovered by Avery Hur at the 22. Three plays later, Kayjahn Pitts scored from three yards. Fabian Gray’s point-after cut the deficit to 10-7 and appeared to change the momentum of the game.
Pitts, who rushed 17 times for 111 yards, scored from 18 with 5:24 left in the second quarter as Woodbrdge added a two-point conversion run by Waylon Stone to take a 15-10 lead.
It stayed that way until Buena Park’s Santillan scored in the fourth quarter for the 16-15 lead. Then came the magic.
“A lot of people were doubting us since Week 1,” Pitts said. “It feels good to shut out the bad talk and prove we’re a good team.”
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