MidValleySports.Com

Soloman burst through the Glendora defense. Photo by Anne Cypress.

(Azusa) – For the second straight year, West Covina got the best of Glendora with an exciting 33-28 victory at Citrus College.

For the Bulldogs it was their third straight win and dropped the Tartans out of the ranks of the unbeaten.

“That is a good football team,” said West Covina head coach Mike Maggiore. “We knew we had to score some points to be on the winning end.”

It took the Glendora 38-minutes to take the lead on the Bulldogs when Tartans quarterback Chad Jeffries snuck in from one-yard out.

In a matter of seconds Bulldogs running back B.J. Lee took the ensuing kickoff at the 16-yard line, found a sliver of a seam and sprinted home for an 84-yard kickoff return that was the difference in the game.

The ground game from West Covina led by Chris Soloman’s 163 yards rushing and a touchdown kept Glendora guessing for the entire game.

George Johnson did more damage with his feet as closed out with 83 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Johnson also added a touchdown through the air and was six of eight for 80 yards.

Jeffries had a stellar night leading the Tartans offense, completing 17 of 21 for 248 yards and a touchdown. Jeffries would also run for 65 yards and add three touchdowns.

Jeffries had a big night for Glendora. Photo by Anne Cypress

The normally reliable Glendora offense that accounted for three turnovers on the night, none bigger than Corey Victoria’s fumble at the Tartan 20-yard line that led to a Chris Guzman recovery at the 28-yard line. One play later Soloman would score his only touchdown from 28-yards to break a scoreless tie with 8:29 remaining in the second quarter.

“Our defense was fortunate to cause some turnovers,” said Maggiore. “It also helps to have a work horse like Soloman who can run all day.”

Both teams would see-saw back and forth from then on with both quarterbacks doing the scoring. Jeffries would add scores of six and seven-yards out, while Johnson scampered from eight yards out and made a nifty play-action bootleg score from 37-yards to end the half.

As the second half began, it was apparent that Jeffries would find more success in the air. Jeffries showed why many consider him a top-ranked prospect with an authoritative seven-play drive that ended with Dillon Downard (Five catches for 65 yards) with a touchdown reception from 22-yards out and Jeffries flat on his back after West Covina linebacker Maurice Dupleasis left his calling card on the quarterback.

The Bulldogs would answer right back with a quick four-play drive that Johnson capped with a 29-yard pass to a wide open Anthony Molina to give West Covina a 27-21 lead.

Jeffries tried to lead Glendora back late in the fourth quarter with a drive that got as close as the 29-yard line. An untimely penalty for a block in the back reversed a 14-yard run by Jeffries and gave the Tartans a 2^nd and 22 at the 44-yard line. After a rare incompletion by Jeffries, Dupleasis finished off Glendora with a sack to secure the win.

More game photos at cypresstreephotos.printroom.com