PLACENTIA – Villa Park football coach Dusan Ancich was the first to acknowledge that his team’s performance against El Dorado on Thursday was far from the Spartans’ best this season.
Yet the Spartans, ranked No. 4 in CIF-SS Division 4, still had an easy time it, coming away with 49-3 victory over the Golden Hawks in the teams’ final nonleague game of the season at Valencia High School.
Villa Park (6-1) fell just short of scoring at least 50 points for the third week in a row. The Spartans will open Crestview League play on the road against Yorba Linda next week having outscored their past three opponents 162-9.
The Spartans last gave up a touchdown in the fourth quarter of their 56-6 victory over El Toro on Sept. 21.
Villa Park won despite turning the ball over three times, committing 10 penalties totaling 87 yards and dropping two passes that should have been caught.
“I don’t want to sound selfish, but it was frustrating,” Ancich said. “We have to do better than this if we want to win (the league opener). We didn’t click. We just couldn’t get in a flow.”
The Spartans can score in a variety of ways, which they proved again against the Hawks (2-5).
Anthony Hakai, the Spartans’ small, stocky running back, rushed for touchdowns of 1, 3 and 17 yards.
Senior quarterback Paul Piferi threw more incompletions than completions, but he still managed to connect with Noah Sanchez for a 37-yard touchdown.
The Spartans also scored on a halfback option, with Jared Johnson throwing a perfect pass to Dylan Bonilla for a 40-yard touchdown.
The Spartans were exceptional on defense, holding to Hawks to three-and-outs six times and coming up with big plays.
Zion Alfonso had a 30-yard interception for a touchdown, giving him two interceptions for scores this season.
Alfonso also returned a punt 63 yards for an apparent touchdown, which would have given him four for the season, but the score was nullified by a holding penalty.
A fumble, which was forced by a sack, was scooped up and returned 46 yards by defensive tackle Alexander Antillon.
The play led to another touchdown for the Spartans.
“I’m very proud of our team,” Ancich said. “We just have to play better than that.”
El Dorado opens Crestview League play on the road against Brea Olinda next week.