ORANGE — Orange football coach Robert Pedroza was concerned that his team might suffer a letdown after its emotional win over crosstown foe Villa Park last week.
The Panther players put his concerns to rest when they dominated La Mirada 40-9 on Thursday at El Modena High’s Fred Kelly Stadium.
Orange quarterback Daylen Pedroza, who is not related to his head coach, threw for a career-high 441 yards and five touchdowns in the win.
He is a three-year starter, but the Panthers (2-0) are running a new offense with a lot of empty backfields and quick reads for the quarterback.
“He’s adapted so well,” Coach Pedroza said of his quarterback. “He’s a leader out there. When it comes down to it, he’s going to make sure everybody is on the same page.”
Four of Pedroza’s five touchdowns were to Raymond Casillas. The junior receiver had a career game, catching seven passes for a school-record 264 yards and four touchdowns.
“He makes my job a lot easier,” Daylen said of Casillas. “He’s a playmaker. I just get him the ball and let him do his thing.”
“I came out and put on a show and did what I had to do for the team,” Casillas said. “A lot of people talk smack because we were a lower division team, but we can play with the top teams. We are proving that.”
Pedroza and Casillas connected for their first touchdown on a 57-yard pass less than a minute into the game to put Orange ahead 6-0.
The duo scored again on a 56-yard pass and after a two-point conversion run by Isaiah Adetoye, the Panthers had a 14-3 lead midway through the second quarter.
Near the end of the first half, Pedroza threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to Issac Adetoye and Orange went into halftime up 20-9.
Pedroza threw two more touchdowns to Casillas in the second half of 42 and 76 yards, respectively. Freshman running back Kobe Boykin ran for a 27-yard touchdown in the third quarter and had an interception on defense.
La Mirada (0-1) came into the game with the clear intention of running the ball down the throat of the Orange defense. The Panther defense had a bend-but-don’t-break mentality and held La Mirada to under 4 yards per carry.
“Our defensive coordinator, Coach Vasquez, is dialed in every week,” Coach Pedroza said. “The kids are so tough up front and they love to play football. It’s fun to watch.”
La Mirada running back Isaiah Martinez rushed for 103 yards on 21 carries. He caught a 41-yard screen pass to set up a touchdown pass from Nehuel Garcia to Tristin Walters for the Matadores’ lone touchdown of the game.
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