PLACENTIA — Quarterback Star Thomas III led the Orange football team to victory over El Dorado, 42-14, on Friday night in a Foxtrot League opener at Valencia High School.
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The Panthers scored 28 consecutive points to pull away for the win.
Thomas threw for 305 yards, had four touchdown passes and also ran for two scores.
“I’m so fortunate that I get to watch him every day, sometimes I forget that there’s a game going on because I just focus on him because he’s so fun to watch,” Orange coach Robert Pedroza said of Thomas. “But it’s not just that he’s an incredible quarterback. What he does from Saturday to Friday with film and his work ethic and what he does all day. He’s a natural leader and he’s the hardest working, you know, one of the hardest working kids I’ve coached.
“So, everything that’s coming his way is well deserved. He’s unreal. There’s nobody better.”
Orange (6-0, 1-0) jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead, needing just two plays to score as Thomas tossed a 7-yard TD pass to Malahki Allen.
El Dorado (4-2, 0-1) leaned on its ground game, using wide receiver Justin Karg in the backfield on its first scoring drive.
Golden Hawks running back Darius Selway gained tough yards on the ground, including a 53-yard TD run that made it 14-14.
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Selway finished with 14 carries and 117 yards and one score.
Orange scored just before halftime on an 18-yard catch by Dylan Stone to give the Panthers a 21-14 advantage.
“I think we started slow tonight and we can’t do that in league when we’re playing good opponents,” Pedroza said. “We finally got clicking on defense, kind of made a couple adjustments to help us out in the run game and taking things away in the pass game, and they finally got some (turnovers) three interceptions there in the second half.”
Panthers running back Jeremiah Dunklin rushed for 124 yards and the defense collected three interceptions. Karsten Hardiman, Isaac Harrison and KJ Woodbury each recorded a takeaway.
Stone caught two touchdown passes and Woodbury hauled in six passes for 147 yards and a touchdown, including a 69-yard strike in the second quarter.
Thomas also connected with Woodbury on a 48-yard completion which led to Thomas’ final rushing TD of the night.
“It’s so fun to watch kids like that who love football,” Pedroza said. “They just love playing football. They’re passionate about it. And it’s not just on Friday nights. It’s Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. You watch them play and practice and you don’t have to tell them to practice hard because they love it so much.”
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The Panthers face Segerstrom next week.