HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL : Fien Passes Royal Past Santa Paula

Ryan Fien passed for four touchdowns and ran for another to guide Royal High to a 34-3 season-opening nonleague win over Santa Paula at Moorpark College on Friday night.

Fien threw touchdown passes of 34 and 21 yards to wide receiver Steve Feil. He also had a two-yard scoring pass to tailback Mike Streeter and a six-yard toss to Chris McGrath.

Royal led, 7-3, at halftime when a pair of momentum-stealing mistakes by Santa Paula allowed the Highlanders to strike for 14 quick points.

With a first-and-goal situation at the Cardinal 10-yard line, Santa Paula lineman Mamo Alvarado sacked Fien for a big loss, but the play was nullified because Santa Paula had 12 players on the field.

Santa Paula held Royal for three downs inside the five-yard line, but Fien dived over from the one on fourth down.

On the ensuing kickoff, Santa Paula’s Miguel Soria fell trying to catch the ball, and before he could recover, Royal’s Pat Ross pounced on the ball at the Cardinal two-yard line.

It took just one play for Fien to give the Highlanders a 21-3 lead as he sprinted to his right and hit Streeter in the end zone.

The Highlanders added two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, Fien hitting Feil with a 21-yard pass and McGrath with a six-yard pass.

Santa Paula lost starting quarterback Erasmo Jacinto on the opening kickoff when Jacinto suffered a separated right shoulder. Junior Brian Whittaker replaced Jacinto but threw three interceptions. Whittaker completed nine of 20 passes for 75 yards.

Santa Paula took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter on Steve Dysart’s 33-yard field goal.

Royal retaliated on the next series when Fien hit Feil for a 34-yard scoring strike on a third-and-15 play.