The Huntington Beach High football program celebrated a milestone Thursday night when the Oilers secured at least a share of the Delta League championship for the first time in 33 years, a tangible sign of the turnaround under coach Matthew Hatchette.
Win sets up decisive regular-season finale
Huntington Beach (9-0, 4-0 in league) defeated visiting Troy, 37-22, at Cap Sheue Field to clinch a share of the title. The team, however, is treating the result as a step rather than a final achievement: an outright crown and an unblemished regular season still hinge on next week’s home game against Laguna Beach.
Coach Hatchette, a former NFL receiver who has 17 wins and three losses since taking over the program last season, urged restraint in the celebration.
“We’ve come too far. We’ve put in the work already. Let’s finish the job at hand, let the playoff picture work itself out later,” Hatchette said.
Senior quarterback Brady Edmunds echoed that sentiment after the game, declining to accept the title until the Oilers earn an outright victory next week. “Me and Coach Hatch were like, ‘No, no, no.’ We’ll take [a win] next week, and then we’ll say it,” Edmunds said, according to team remarks after the announcement was made over the stadium loudspeakers.
Historical perspective and postseason outlook
For Huntington Beach High, the achievement carries historical weight. The last team from the campus to finish a regular season undefeated and win league came in 1993, when the Sunset League champions went 13-0 before falling in the CIF Division II championship; that squad featured Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez. Players on the current roster and coaching staff have referenced that legacy as both inspiration and context for the program’s ambitions.
Looking ahead, CIF Southern Section placements will be released Nov. 1 and the Oilers are expected to land in Division 2, a bracket the coach described as a daunting path to a championship. Players acknowledged the significance but kept their focus on immediate objectives: win next week and then prepare for the playoff draw.
Team resilience and next steps
The 37-22 scoreline against Troy was described in brief game summaries as "deceiving," suggesting the contest may have involved phases of tighter play even if the final margin appeared comfortable. Huntington Beach’s 9-0 start positions the team to enter the CIF playoffs with momentum, but players and coaches stressed that postseason success is the ultimate yardstick.
- Current record: 9-0 overall, 4-0 in Delta League
- Needed to clinch outright league title: Home win over Laguna Beach in the regular-season finale
- CIF outlook: Likely placement in Division 2 when pairings are released Nov. 1
Senior center Caden McNiven, in his third season as a starter, put the team’s accomplishment in perspective: while going 9-0 matters deeply to players and the school community, he said the greater goal remains postseason success. “Nine-and-oh, haven’t done it since 1993,” McNiven said. “Obviously, the goal is to go 10-0 next week, but then after that, it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t win CIF, you don’t win state.”
The immediate week will test the Oilers’ ability to stay focused under pressure. Dana Hills and El Modena, both 7-1 and 2-1 in league, could finish level with Huntington Beach if either wins Friday’s showdown and Huntington Beach falters next week. That possibility has shaped the team’s cautious approach to celebrating Thursday’s milestone.
| Team | Overall | League |
|---|---|---|
| Huntington Beach | 9-0 | 4-0 |
| Dana Hills | 7-1 | 2-1 |
| El Modena | 7-1 | 2-1 |
As the Oilers prepare for Laguna Beach, the program’s leadership and players have signaled a blend of pride in breaking a decades-long drought and a determination not to let the moment distract from longer-term championship goals. With CIF brackets pending, Huntington Beach’s next victory will shape both local bragging rights and the team’s playoff seeding heading into November.
