COVINA — The Northview football team hasn’t lost much over the past three seasons, and when it has, its defense has been so good that nobody ran it off the field.
But this is a different season and La Habra is a different team.
The Highlanders (2-0), No. 2 in the SGV rankings, were just too much, overwhelming the Vikings with big plays on offense and defense in a never-in-doubt 56-21 victory on Friday at Covina District Field.
La Habra junior quarterback DJ Mitchell, who holds offers from Auburn, Arkansas, SDSU, Utah and others, was having his way. Mitchell completed 8 of 19 passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns, and also ran in a 13-yard score and finished with 65 yards rushing.
Mitchell noted how well they were prepared.
La Habra QB DJ Mitchell threw for 184 yards, 3TDs and ran for 65 yard and a TD in a 56-21 win over the Vikings pic.twitter.com/sTEgUiBPUa
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) August 30, 2025
“We watched so much film, we knew their weaknesses and we knew how to execute and when to execute and we did our thing,” Mitchell said. “I’m so excited for what we have in store. We’re a brotherhood and I love my guys.”
La Habra’s Santi Bautista Cuesta was a difference maker too, scoring on a 60-yard fumble return in the first half, and adding a 56-yard interception return for a TD in the second half. The Highlanders benefitted from four turnovers and scored on three of them.
Highlanders junior back Kevika Mata’Utia-Martinez also was solid, rushing for 105 yards and a touchdown.
It was hard for La Habra coach Frank Mazzotta to find any faults.
“The kids played well, they’re a good group and that’s the bottom line,” Mazzotta said. “I don’t have any complaints about the effort they’re putting in. That’s what you’re supposed to do, right, put a lot of work, effort, and game time is the time to show off.”
The Vikings struggled to find consistency offensively, and that’s a recipe for disaster against a Highlanders offense that was scoring at will.
Vikings QB Robert Lucero threw for 194 yards and a TD and his brother Isaiah Lucero had six receptions for 151 yards and a score. But the Vikings only managed 11 rushing yards.
Northview coach Marcel Perez thinks in the long run the Vikings may benefit after a 56-21 loss to La Habra pic.twitter.com/olkcMirhn2
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) August 30, 2025
Northview coach Marcel Perez expects some growing pains this season. They have several new faces on the offensive line and he knew La Habra was a step-up challenge for them.
“We’re excited about playing teams like La Habra and having these games on our schedule,” Perez said. “Our guys showed up and we made some mistakes that you can do against a great team like this. But obviously we’re going to keep getting better, and I thought we had some opportunities and didn’t capitalize. This isn’t a set back for us, it shows where we’re at and what we have to do from here.”
The Vikings couldn’t stop La Habra from the start.
Mitchell’s third-and-long completion to Rogers for 17 yards kept their opening drive alive. Mata’Utia-Martinez followed with a 23-yard run, then took it in for an 11-yard score and 7-0 lead.
The Vikings answered on the ensuing kickoff when Jaishon Bledsoe turned on the jets and raced 91 yards for a score to quickly tie it up.
The Vikings were hoping to get a stop on fourth down, but Mitchell used his speed to run up the right side for a 13-yard touchdown run, putting the Highlanders back in front, 14-7.
“When they’re in a cover zero and they’re man and their backs are all turned on me, I can just beat them with my legs,” Mitchell said.
It’s just part of what makes him special.
La Habra coach Frank Mazzotta touched on a lot of things after a dominating 56-21 victory over Northview pic.twitter.com/SGPKf5nIiX
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) August 30, 2025
“He does have a knack for it,” Mazzotta said of MItchell’s big plays. “He’s a smart quarterback. He has a knack for certain looks when he can pull it down and do stuff like that.”
The Highlanders’ offense made it three possessions, three scores. Mitchell went over the top to Rogers and he walked it in for a 34-yard touchdown and a 21-7 lead with 32 seconds left in the opening quarter. Rogers finished with three receptions for 73 yards.
It went from bad to worse for the Vikings.
La Habra’s Barrett Blied stripped Northview’s Zachary Garza and the Highlanders’ Cuesta grabbed the fumble and ran it back 60 yards for a touchdown and 28-7 lead.
The onslaught continued with Mitchell throwing a short pass to Bryce Martinez for a 48-yard touchdown completion to go up 28 points with 5:47 left until half.
Vikings quarterback Robert Lucero finally stopped the bleeding with a 4-yard keeper, trimming the Highlanders’ lead to 35-14, and it stayed that way at half.
It didn’t get better for the Vikings after Isaiah Lucero fumbled the second-half kickoff, turning the ball over to the Highlanders at the Vikings’ 23.
Mitchell made them pay with a 5-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to Martinez to extend the Highlanders’ lead to 42-14. Martinez finished with four catches for 108 yards and two scores.
Cuesta’s interception return pushed the Highlanders’ lead to 49-14. But the Vikings got one back after Robert Lucero connected with his brother Isaiah Lucero down the sideline for a 70-yard touchdown completion late in the third quarter, and it stayed that way until the fourth.
