TUSTIN — Beckman will enter league play with a perfect record after defeating a shorthanded Woodbridge squad, 31-0, in the final nonleague game for both teams Thursday at Tustin High School.
The Patriots are 5-0 and after a bye week will head into their first game in the new Lambda League on Oct. 4 against Fullerton at Fullerton High School.
The Warriors (1-4), who were without starting quarterback Caden Jones and Jayden Clayborn, the team’s leading running back, will also have a bye week before opening play in the new Omicron League against Portola on Oct. 4
“I’m super proud of them because it’s hard to do this,” Beckman coach Marcello Giuliano said about his team’s perfect record. “We’ve played good teams. So, at a certain point teams are gunning for you. I’m really pleased with the way that they have handled that, but the bigger challenges and the mountain to climb is yet ahead.”
In the first half, the Patriots, specifically Zak Hazbound, converted two Warriors miscues into points.
Hazbound recovered a muffed punt on the Woodbridge 9 and two plays later Makhi Czaykowski scored on a 1-yard run to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead.
“I wanted to make sure that he fair-caught it and when I saw that he dropped it and nobody else got it I just wanted to jump on it,” Hazbound said.
The Warriors faced third-and-6 on their 6 in the final seconds of the second quarter when the Patriots called timeout with under 20 seconds remaining.
Giuliano said he was hoping his team could block a punt on fourth down, but it worked out even better when Hazbound recovered a fumble on third down to give the Patriots possession at the Woodbridge 3 with 11 seconds remaining.
After a holding penalty, the Patriots settled for a 30-yard field goal from Gui DeLuca to take a 17-0 lead into halftime.
Beckman’s Drexel Gibson, a returning All-CIF-SS Division 10 selection at defensive end, was inserted into the game at running back in the third quarter.
Gibson had only two carries, but scored on both, the first on a 5-yard run in which he carried a pile of defenders the final two yards.
The senior’s second touchdown came on a 1-yard run late in the third.
Noah Nam led an efficient passing game for the Patriots, completing 15 of 19 passes for 142 yards.
Except for a 32-yard completion, all of Nam’s completions were underneath coverage.
“I just wanted to get the ball in the hands of my playmakers to let them make some plays,” Nam said. “That was the goal and the game plan going into the night.”
