LAGUNA BEACH – Yorba Linda’s football practices this month heavily emphasized fundaments, especially tackling.
Read more Millikan football struggles in season-opening loss to Huntington Beach
“We had to learn how to tackle,” said Yorba Linda head coach John Domen. “We had to turn it on, day in and day out, and demand it out of the kids. We weren’t at the level, especially with how young we are, with the physicality and tackling that needs to occur.”
Those lessons were obviously learned. Yorba Linda’s defense controlled Laguna Beach’s high-octane offense Friday in the Mustangs’ 34-21 win over the Breakers at Laguna Beach High.
It was Domen’s head-coaching debut for Yorba Linda. He has served in the school’s football program since 2013 and was assistant head coach the past two seasons under Jeff Bailey. Bailey left after the 2025 seaso to accept the football head coaching position at Beverly Hills High.
The Mustangs defensive line group of junior Mattias Girgis, junior Dominic Cicero, senior Brandon Nagel, junior Landon Pearson and sophomore Logan Seib kept Laguna Beach’s All-Orange County quarterback off balance. Hurst, who threw for 45 touchdowns over 11 games last season, did have two touchdown passes Friday. He also threw two interceptions Friday; Hurtst threw only five interceptions last year.
“Out D-line was setting the tempo,” said Pearson who had a fourth-quarter sack. “We were stopping the run for the most part.”
Yorba Linda held Laguna Beach to 47 rushing yards on 10 attempts.
The Mustangs running game was solid and their passing game made some big plays.
Yorba Linda senior quarterback Noah Trujillo threw two long touchdown passes to senior receiver Vince Aguilar. Senior running back Aiden Gutierrez rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns.
Noah Trujillo threw for 215 yards and the two touchdowns.
Hurst completed 19 of 31 passes for 193 yards. His touchdown passes went to Brady Stringham and Garrett Byerly.
Yorba Linda had a 21-0 lead in the second quarter. Laguna Beach ralled a couple of times to pullin with one touchdown, but the Mustangs would come right back with a touchdown of their own.
Yorba Linda scored first on the Mustangs’ game-opening possession. On second down and 1 yard to go at the Laguna Beach 45-yard line, Noah Trujillo launched a deep pass to Vince Aguilar who was wide open at the 5-yard line for the catch and two steps into the end zone. The point-after kick attempt failed, leaving the Mustangs with a 6–0 lead with 6:30 remaining in the first quarter.
Read more Meet Jazmin Gamble, the Hawthorne High head football coach making history
The Mustangs then put together a 12-play, 77-yard drive that started with 4:26 to go in the first quarter and was finished with 9:14 left in the second quarter by an Isiah Trujillo 5-yard touchdown run for a 13-0 lead. The drive was aided by a Laguna Beach pass interference penalty on fourth and 13.
Laguna Beach had the ball only once between those Mustangs touchdowns – a possession that started at the Breakers 26-yard line and ended with a punt from midfield.
Yorba Linda extended its lead to 21-0. Noah Trujillo and Aguilar connected again on a long touchdown play. Trujillo’s high-arc pass was caught by Aguilar near the 50-yard line, from where Aguilar raced downfield for the six points. Isaiah Trujillo, a junior and Noah Trujillo’s younger brother, ran it in for a two-point conversion.
Laguna Beach scored two touchdowns in the final 2:18 of the second quarter. Stringham caught a 8-yard touchdown pass from Hurst to make it 21-7. With 36 seconds left, Hurst passed to Byerly on a 32-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-14 at halftime.
The Breakers could not carry that momentum into the second half. They took the third-quarter opening kickoff but that possession consisted of three incompletions and a punt.
Yorba Linda then grew their lead to two touchdowns again. Aiden Gutierrez scored on a 1 yard run to give the Mustangs a 28-14 lead with 8:08 left in the third quarter.
Laguna Beach running back Charlie Christian scored on a 13-yard run with 29 seconds left in the third quarter to make it a one-touchdown game. A 2-yard touchdown run by Gutierrez made it 34-21 with seven minutes to go. Seib sealed the Mustangs victory when he picked off a screen pass late in the fourth quarter.
Yorba Linda’s next game is an away game against Long Beach Poly on Aug. 28. Laguna Beach is at home on Aug. 28 against Orange.
Both teams are in new leagues this season. Yorba Linda moved up from the Bravo League to the Alpha League. Laguna Beach moved up from the Foxtrot League to the Delta League.
Read more High school football: Scores from Friday’s Week 0 games