Brian Pizula

Brian Pizula of Sunny Hills High School, one of Orange County's leading rushers last season, said Tuesday he has made an oral commitment to attend New Mexico State. Edison lineman Lawson Mollica has committed to attend Pittsburgh. The first day high school football players can sign letters of intent is Feb. 14. Pizula, 5-feet-11, 195 pounds, chose New Mexico State over Wyoming and Montana.

Brian Pizula had an outstanding high school football career at Sunny Hills in Fullerton, but his chances for success as a college running back were open to debate. "There probably are 2,000 backs coming out of high school every year with Brian's physical attributes," said his high school coach, Tim Devaney. "He was 5-11 and around 190 pounds, and could run 4.7 in the 40. But you know how college recruiters are. They're always looking for running backs who are bigger, stronger and can run a 4.

Brian Pizula had an outstanding high school football career at Sunny Hills in Fullerton, but his chances for success as a college running back were open to debate. "There probably are 2,000 backs coming out of high school every year with Brian's physical attributes," said his high school coach, Tim Devaney. "He was 5-11 and around 190 pounds, and could run 4.7 in the 40. But you know how college recruiters are. They're always looking for running backs who are bigger, stronger and can run a 4.

Brian Pizula of Sunny Hills High School, one of Orange County's leading rushers last season, said Tuesday he has made an oral commitment to attend New Mexico State. Edison lineman Lawson Mollica has committed to attend Pittsburgh. The first day high school football players can sign letters of intent is Feb. 14. Pizula, 5-feet-11, 195 pounds, chose New Mexico State over Wyoming and Montana.

Brian Pizula scored three touchdowns Friday as Sunny Hills High School defeated La Zerte of Edmonton, 51-0. "It's just a matter of experience," said Pizula, who enjoyed playing on the 65-yard wide Canadian field. "I like this field, I wish we had it back home." Dan Wackerman added a pair of touchdowns for Sunny Hills, which defeated La Zerte, 28-6, last September at home. "They hit much harder than they did last year," Sunny Hills Coach Tim Devaney said. "They shut us down early tonight."

With running backs Brian Pizula and Mike Sullivan leading the way, Sunny Hills High School defeated Buena Park, 35-12, Thursday to win the Freeway League title. Sunny Hills (10-0 overall and 5-0 in league play) had clinched at least a tie for the title last Friday with a 40-0 victory over Sonora. Sunny Hills is the top-ranked team in the Southern Section Division IV poll. This is the first time Sunny Hills has finished the regular season undefeated.

Running back Brian Pizula scored two touchdowns to lead Sunny Hills to a 31-6 victory over Rowland Friday in front of 1,500 at Buena Park High School. Pizula gave Sunny Hills an early lead, scoring on a 55-yard run on the game's second play. He also scored on a 75-yard run midway through the second quarter. Pizula finished with 188 yards in 10 carries to lead the Lancers, who had 289 yards on the ground.

Century High School's 21-20 victory over previously unbeaten Trabuco Hills wasn't the only surprise Saturday in Santa Ana Stadium. Rex Ressler, a walk-on coach for the girls' freshman-sophomore basketball team at Century, won a new pickup truck in the school's halftime promotion that benefits its athletic department. Three contestants are selected to participate in the promotion in which Ressler accurately placed a 30-yard kick off a tee into the bed of the truck to claim the prize.

Senior running back Mike Sullivan rushed for 181 yards and one touchdown, leading Sunny Hills High School past host Rowland, 21-6, Friday night. Sullivan capped a 13-carry performance with an impressive 88-yard touchdown run with 1 minute 45 seconds remaining in the game to seal the victory. Teammate Kenny Overby, who along with Brian Pizula (who graduated) sometimes overshadowed Sullivan last season, carried 19 times for 89 yards and one touchdown.

Sunny Hills 21, Cypress 0--Sunny Hills combined a balanced offense and stingy defense in the nonleague victory at Western High. The Lancers (2-1) were led by senior quarterback Jon Beuerlein, who completed 8 of 15 for 166 yards and 2 touchdowns. His 48-yard scoring pass to John Montgomery in the second quarter gave Sunny Hills a 14-0 lead. He later passed to Jeff White for a 25-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

Jon Beuerlein completed 9 of 11 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown and kicked a 37-yard field goal to lead Sunny Hills High School to a 31-0 win over Brea-Olinda Friday at Buena Park. Beuerlein completed his first 6 passes for 77 yards as the Lancers (4-1) built a 14-0 halftime lead. Sunny Hills then put the game out of reach with 10 points in the third quarter, including Beuerlein's field goal.

Brian Pizula rushed for 146 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead Sunny Hills High School to a 40-0 victory over Sonora Friday in a Freeway League football game in front of 400 fans at La Habra High School. Pizula, a senior, ran for scores of 10, 11 and 30 yards. His 10-yard score with 9:25 left in the first quarter were the only points Sunny Hills (9-0 overall and 4-0 in league) needed. Sunny Hills had 396 yards in total offense.