ORANGE COUNTY / PREP FOOTBALL : Short-Handed Lobos Suffer a 48-7 Loss

Los Amigos Coach David Olson made a point Friday and it helped Orange Lutheran score lots of them.

Olson benched nine players for violation of team rules and the move left the Lobos in no position to stop Orange Lutheran, which scored six touchdowns in the first half and won, 48-7, at Garden Grove High.

“I have a lot of respect for Coach Davis for holding those nine out,” Orange Lutheran Coach Jim Kunau said. “But it made a huge difference. I have to credit Los Amigos for playing really hard. If you took nine of our best players out, we would be in deep trouble.”

Orange Lutheran (1-0) had no trouble Friday, thanks to the guidance of senior quarterback Jason Whieldon, who was eight of 12 for 152 yards with three touchdowns.

Whieldon also showed the benefits of having a three-year starter around when he helped calm down junior Jon Talmage.

“I was kind of nervous before the game,” Talmage said, “but Jason Whieldon talked to me and helped me relax.”

Talmage went on to catch four touchdown passes and finished with seven receptions for 132 yards. He also kicked four extra points and had a punt of 67 yards.

Talmage was just a kicker last season.

The fact that Talmage, at 6 feet 3, had at least five inches on every Los Amigos defensive back didn’t hurt either.

His first touchdown pass was from five yards out and he just reached over the defenders.

He added another touchdown from 30 yards and two more from 33 yards. On all three catches he had raced behind the Los Amigos secondary.

“He’s just a very fine athlete,” Kunau said. “He’s also the best soccer player at our school. He’s just a good, hard-working kid.”

Talmage said he’s only a “pretty good” soccer player, then added: “I really didn’t think that much of football, but now that I’m playing, I’m starting to enjoy it a lot more.”

Tui Soifua scored Los Amigos’ only touchdown from a yard out midway in the fourth quarter.