PREP FOOTBALL ROUNDUP : Despite 13 Penalties, Tustin Defeats Orange

Tustin’s 29-17 victory over Orange Thursday night at Tustin High School will be remembered for its big plays, big hits and big penalties.

Tustin’s Keith Thomas delivered the biggest play, intercepting Orange quarterback Noah Kimbwala’s pass and returning it 46 yards for a touchdown to turn a two-point Tillers’ lead into a 26-17 lead 2 minutes 6 seconds into the second half.

Both teams used big plays to score early. After an interception, Tustin quarterback Jon Miller threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Derek Clemons for a 13-0 lead.

Kimbwala responded with a bomb of his own three plays later, throwing a 58-yard touchdown pass to Jason Evers to get Orange to within 13-7.

Orange (2-2-1) took the lead when Kimbwala capped a 60-yard, 13-play drive with a two-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Tavernier. David Knorr’s conversion gave the Panthers their only lead of the game, 14-13.

Tustin (5-0) survived 13 penalties for 153 yards, including two roughing-the-passer penalties and four pass-interference calls.

Orange’s John Bowker left the game late in the fourth quarter with a broken wrist after Tustin’s David Lichty knocked him out of bounds with a clean tackle.