Local teams find ways to win

Editor’s note: This changes the spelling of Karson Ayres’ name.

Two teams from Huntington Beach Pop Warner Football are moving on in the Orange Empire Conference postseason playoffs.

The Pee Wee division Gold Chargers have reached the pinnacle of their season and will play for the division championship Sunday against the Brea Bengals in the Orange Bowl at Estancia High in Costa Mesa. Kickoff is 11 a.m.

The Jr. Pee Wee division Green Chargers are one victory away from an Orange Bowl date and have a 1 p.m. semifinal showdown Saturday against the Tustin Red Cobras at Laguna Hills High.

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Pee Wee Division

The Huntington Beach Gold Chargers played the undefeated Long Beach 49ers on Sunday in a semifinal game in Pasadena, and the Gold Chargers came away with a 20-12 victory to earn a berth in Sunday’s Orange Bowl game at Estancia High.

Neither team was able to score in the opening quarter, but Long Beach scored on a sweep in the second quarter to go up, 6-0. Huntington, which improved to 8-1, came right back to tie the score when Jacob Marines scored on a 10-yard run. The 49ers, however, regained the lead with 1:43 left in the half on a touchdown pass.

Huntington came out in the second half recharged and shut down the 49ers.

The rally started in the third quarter when Brandon Dyer rushed into the end zone using the team’s powerful wedge. Marines followed with a scoring run on the one-point conversion and the Gold Chargers had the lead for good, 13-12. In the fourth quarter, David Atencio pushed his way into the end zone on a five-yard scoring run and then added the conversion run to make it 20-12.

The Huntington Beach Pee Wee division Gold Chargers are: Jake Adams, David Atencio, Kenny Carmichael, Joey Foster, Ryan Gale, Dominic Gonzalez, Austin Irvin, Cole Labrake, Cole Pellkofer, Michael Pierson, Jack Andros, Robert Bandaruk, Trevor Blake, Jacob DeMartini, Brandon Dyer, Cameron Geissler, Jacob Marines, Quentin Sandoval, Jacob Sievers, Mitch Valentin, Justin Zumwalt, head coach David Atencio and assistant coaches Rob Stillman, Rick Price, John Pierson, Dennis Atencio, Liam Russell, Ryan Gale, Ed Andros, Gabe Ricci and Dave Gonzalez.

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Jr. Pee Wee Division

The Huntington Beach Jr. Pee Wee Division Green Chargers continued their undefeated season with a 13-6 first-round playoff victory Saturday against the Saddleback Valley White Wolverines.

Saddleback Valley held Huntington’s potent offense on the Green Chargers’ first possession, then used a time-consuming drive of its own to score on its opening series. The Wolverines, however, were burned by Huntington’s Shaun Colamonico, who scooped up a rolling punt and returned it for the tying touchdown. The extra-point run by Chase Ault put the Chargers in front to stay, 7-6.

The Green Chargers defense continually stopped Saddleback Valley after the Wolverines’ initial possession and was led by the solid play of Jon Morieda, Jack Carmichael, Xavier Salgado and Kyle Scotia. Karson Ayres and Kyle Drinnon both had interceptions to thwart other drives by the Wolverines.

Huntington used runs by Ault and Nick Warren, a key reception by EJ Ginnis and the line play of Luke Hoggard and Joseph Flannery to set up its final score. The drive ended with a perfectly thrown ball from Griffin O’Connor to Ault on a seven-yard touchdown pass.

The victory allowed Huntington to improve to 9-0. The Green Chargers will be after victory No. 10 Saturday when they take on the undefeated Tustin Red Cobras (9-0) in a division semifinal game at Laguna Hills High.

The winner of Saturday’s game advances to the Division 1 Jr. Pee Wee Orange Bowl game Nov. 6.