Fountain Valley Starts With Dominating Win

LONG BEACH — Fountain Valley was faced with two challenges Friday night: overcome a lackluster practice Thursday and try to contain a high-power Long Beach Wilson running back.

The Barons answered both question by rolling past Wilson, 44-0, in a nonleague game at Wilson.

“It’s just the start of the season,” Fountain Valley Coach George Burg told his team after the game. “But what a tremendous start it is.”

Fountain Valley (1-0) showed no signs of its lackluster Thursday practice, scoring on its first six first-half possessions. The Barons also scored on their first possession of the second half.

A 31-yard return of the opening kick by John Sanders set Fountain Valley in motion. The Barons marched 59 yards in seven plays capped by Woodrow Otis III’s two-yard touchdown run.

Fountain Valley then recovered the first of three fumbles by Wilson’s Lejuan Edwards inside the Wilson 30-yard line. Four plays later, Sanders ran in from the two-yard line for a 14-0 lead.

“He’s [Edwards] a quality player,” Burg said. “But our defense never let him out of the chute. When he did have a little space, we came off with the big hit and jarred the ball loose.”

Despite the fumbles, Edwards led Wilson (0-1) with 105 yards rushing on 19 carries.

The Barons finished the first quarter with a five-yard touchdown run by Otis for a 21-0 lead.

Sanders had scoring runs of 30 and 11 yards to build Fountain Valley’s halftime lead to 37-0.