The Buena Park High School football team reached the final of the San Gabriel Valley Shootout passing tournament at Arroyo High School on Saturday July 12. They finished second out of 24 teams.
The Coyotes came up short of the win, losing 27-15 against Monrovia High School in the final.
“I’m very impressed,” said Coyotes coach Anthony White. “We have a lot of tough players who gave [an] incredible effort.”
The Buena Park High School football team reached the final of the San Gabriel Valley Shootout passing tournament at Arroyo High School on Saturday July 12. They finished second out of 24 teams.
The Coyotes came up short of the win, losing 27-15 against Monrovia High School in the final.
“I’m very impressed,” said Coyotes coach Anthony White. “We have a lot of tough players who gave [an] incredible effort.”
Buena Park’s quarterback Zack Taylor connected with wide receiver Jaylinn Hawkins on several occasions to score for their side. This duo will be a threat to be reckoned with in the upcoming season as Hawkins was Taylor’s go-to receiver throughout the tournament.
Diving, reaching, and stretching for any pass in his vicinity, Hawkins made the difference for his squad when he got his hands on the ball.
If the ball looked to be headed out of play on his side, Hawkins would be close by trying to make the completion. On one play, parents scurried away as Hawkins made an incredible diving catch near the side line and landed outside the field.
Hawkins is currently a highly sought after target with the number of offers from colleges estimated at about 15-20.
Coach White expressed joy for his team fighting to reach the final, but noted his team had things to improve on.
“What I would like to improve on is inputting the new offense,” said White. “I want [the team] to get sharper on offense and continue to be physical.”
Physical play and quick feet are what landed the Coyotes in the final on Saturday.
Many of Buena Park’s shorter guys got the job done on Saturday as they swiftly blew past defenders.
Receivers Max Rivera and Matthew Sifuentes rounded out the squad and were clinical going up against defenders one-on-one.
On one occasion, early in a game against Azusa High School, Rivera received the ball on the right just in front of the line of scrimmage. With two defenders swarming him, Rivera faked with a step to the inside then skipped out to right and left the defenders in his wake.
It was these sorts of plays that got the Coyotes fired up and rolling towards the final.
Once the pads are allowed, it will be interesting to see how this bright and full of potential Buena Park squad fares.
Coach White doesn’t see his team going anywhere but up from the impressive performance over the weekend.
“I think we are where we want to be,” said White. “We’re prepared for the long road ahead of us and we’re hungry.”
During the week, it was Buena Park’s lineman who got the job done for the Coyotes.
The lineman won first place in a lineman competition at Gabrielino High School on Wednesday,July 9.
With the offensive and defensive squads both earning impressive results, it looks like Buena Park is well on their way to a successful fall season.
