By Travis Wu
This past Friday, the Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) Barons (1-3) faced off against the Tustin High School (THS) Tillers (4-0) in a matchup that turned into a heated contest, both on the scoreboard and the field.
Despite missing a key player, senior wide receiver Nolan Olivares, due to injury, the Barons showed grit and determination to put on a fierce battle against the Tillers. In a highly physical and intense nonleague home game, the Barons ultimately fell short with a 14-33 loss against the Tillers.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” Barons’ head coach David Gutierrez said. “I thought it was a good physical game for our boys, and I thought they played well. [The Tillers] hit us with a couple of big plays, but the defense was a huge part for building momentum throughout the game.”
Key players who fueled the Barons’ momentum were seniors Luke Taylor and Brady Tomko. Tomko’s relentless defensive blocks disrupted Tustin’s offensive rhythm and created crucial opportunities for the Barons to regain possession. His physical presence on the field kept the pressure on the opposition, embodying the team’s determination to fight through adversity.
On the offensive side, Taylor showcased his versatility with a series of athleticism: including highlight-worthy catches, far dashes, and winning one-on-one clashes. His ability to stretch the field and outmaneuver Tustin’s players provided a much-needed spark during pivotal moments of the game.
The match opened with an early struggle for the Barons. In the first play of the game, the Tillers made an interception from a Baron pass, meaning the Tillers received possession of the ball deep into Barons’ territory. After an incomplete pass, Tillers’ wide receiver Montrevian Cushioberry sprinted down the sidelines for a 20-yard touchdown, putting the Tillers up 7-0 early in the first quarter with 11:34 left on the clock.
The Barons’ offense soon found some momentum, as junior Cameron Farr broke through the Tustin defense and completed a 13-yard run to edge closer to the Tillers’ endzone. Tomko followed the play up with a few solid catches, moving the FV offense further up the field. However, the Barons were forced to punt after a stalled passage of play.
On the defensive side, standout plays from senior Frank Oviedo and Austin Wallace kept Tustin’s offense in check in the first quarter, forcing the Tillers to punt the ball back to the Barons. The first quarter concluded with the Tillers narrowly ahead by seven.
To start off the second quarter, the Barons began with the ball in continuation of the previous quarter. A few incomplete passes and failed plays forced the Barons to punt the ball back to the Tillers.
Key sieges from the Tillers, including runs from Cushioberry and Gustavo Martinez, allowed the Tillers to reach proximity to the touchdown zone. In a fast ambush, the Tillers’ quarterback passed off the ball to Martinez, who sprinted 20 yards down the sideline to secure another touchdown for the Tillers. The Tillers secured the extra point and pushed ahead by fourteen points.
After a few turnovers, the Tillers set up an attack against the Barons at the 26-yard line. However, after a Tustin fumble, junior Munir Beshir scooped up the ball and bolted 85 yards for a touchdown, igniting the Fountain Valley crowd and closing the score 7-14 with 6:16 left on the clock.
Gaining the momentum, Tomko stepped up for the Barons. Not only did he make key tackles on Tustin’s star players, Tomko made some key defensive plays that disrupted the Tiller’s passing game, including blocking a pass intended for Tustin’s wide receiver Takanori Harris.
After a few changes in possession between the Barons and the Tillers, stern defensive performances from both sides prevented the progression of any attack going into halftime.
During halftime, the FVHS cheer and orchestra teams brought a stellar performance, highlighting the close match-up between the two teams thus far.
The intensity only grew in the second half, with emotions boiling over between the two teams. In the first play of the second half, the Tillers made a near-identical play as their second touchdown. The Tillers quarterback passed the ball off to Martinez and he ran a 40-yard dash past the Barons’ defense to score a touchdown. The Tillers failed to convert the extra point and the score became 7 – 20 in favor of Tustin.
Soon after, the Barons responded with a 70-yard bomb from Alexander to Taylor. To heat the match-up further, a scuffle between players from FVHS and THS led to the disqualifications of Fountain Valley’s Charles Grover and Tustin’s Amir Moorehead. Furthermore, with 10:11 on the clock, Tustin’s Jayden Perez was disqualified from the match after shoving Alexander during a dead ball.
For the following few minutes, the Tillers progressed slowly up the Barons’ defensive end. Tustin’s Jeremiah Williams played a crucial role in the Tillers’ offense, pushing through the Barons’ wall of defense and claiming critical first downs.
Eventually, the Barons succumbed to the offensive pressure put up by the Tillers after a 30-yard long-ball catch by Tustin’s Trey Brown. The scoreboard updated with the Barons falling short of the Tillers, with a score of 7-26 and 5:38 remaining in the third quarter.
The Barons refused to back down, with key players Taylor and Tomko working together to keep the Barons’ offense moving. The Barons were able to make up a considerable distance up the Tillers’ territory with Tomko’s defensive stops leading up to Taylor’s offensive surges, allowing for some crucial first downs. Despite their efforts, the Barons still trailed as they entered the final quarter.
The fourth quarter began in a similar fashion to the third with the Tillers’ wide receiver Cushioberry running 80-yards to get a touchdown with 10:30 left in the fourth quarter, pushing the score towards a 7-33 deficit for the Barons.
Looking to continue the fight, junior Sam Garza and sophomore Raymond Dillon Jr. combined for key plays late into the game, setting up a final scoring drive. Taylor capped it off with a hard-fought touchdown, caught on the edge of the endzone, in the last minute of the match.
The final score ended 14-33 in favor of the Tustin Tillers.
As the Barons reflect on this hard-fought game, they turn their focus towards their Week 4 nonleague away matchup — next week’s rivalry match against Edison High School in the highly anticipated Bell Game.
“We have to get healthy,” Gutierrez said. “We have to do our job and study to get as much information as we can about Edison so we can play at a high level and fast pace.”
The annual Bell Game will take place on Friday at 7:00 p.m. at Orange Coast College’s LeBard Stadium.
Uy Pham contributed to this story.
