Huntington Beach Crashes La Habra’s Homecoming in Thriller, Score 35-30 (2025)

La Habra – Highlander Stadium (LHHS)

The Huntington Beach Oilers continued their dominant run through Epsilon League play on Friday night, spoiling La Habra’s homecoming with a 35–30 victory in a thrilling back-and-forth contest. The win marked Huntington Beach’s fifth straight and helped the Oilers (6-1, 2-0) avenge last season’s narrow 37–35 loss to the Highlanders.

La Habra (5-2, 1-1) struck first, controlling the tempo early with a 33-yard field goal from Christian Meyer and a 12-yard touchdown run by quarterback DJ Mitchell, building a 10–0 lead midway through the second quarter. But that cushion vanished in a hurry.

On the ensuing kickoff, Steel Kurtz ignited the Huntington Beach sideline with a 73-yard return for a touchdown to put the Oilers on the board. Moments later, quarterback Brady Edmunds connected deep with Dylin Bruce on a 63-yard bomb, giving Huntington Beach its first lead of the night, 14–10, heading into halftime.

The Oilers carried that momentum into the second half, opening the third quarter with a flurry. Edmunds hit Troy Foster for an 8-yard touchdown, and on the very next drive, the junior quarterback turned playmaker Kurtz found Foster again—this time on a reverse pass from 50 yards out—to extend the lead to 28–10. Bruce added his second touchdown reception of the night with a 46-yard strike from Edmunds, giving the Oilers a commanding 35–17 advantage.

But La Habra refused to fold. Mitchell led three consecutive scoring drives, tossing touchdowns to Blake “Blaze” R. and Bryce Vasquez, then punching in another score with a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter. The Highlanders’ late rally cut the deficit to 35–30, but Huntington Beach’s defense held firm on the final drive, forcing a turnover on downs near midfield to seal the victory.

Edmunds finished the night nearly flawless, completing 18 of 21 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns. Foster had another monster game with 11 receptions for 143 yards and two scores, while Bruce tallied 138 yards and two touchdowns on five catches. Kurtz filled the stat sheet with a kickoff return touchdown, a passing touchdown, and a sack on defense.

Linebackers Logan Gray and Jimmel Champion anchored the Oilers defensively with a combined 15 tackles, while Caden Clark and Johnny Yadrick each recorded key sacks to stall La Habra’s final pushes.

With the win, Huntington Beach improves to 6–1 overall and 2–0 in league play. The Oilers return home to Cap Sheue Field next Friday for Senior Night against Foothill, looking to extend their five-game winning streak and continue their pursuit of the Epsilon League crown.