By Tony Solorzano
(Baldwin Park) – Quarterback Mario Rodriguez threw for 270 yards and Demetrius Jackson caught four passes for 204 yards as Baldwin Park opened Valle Vista League play with a convincing 33-7 victory over Pomona Friday night at Baldwin Park High School.
The Braves (1-4, 1-0) had a complete night as they ended a four-game winless streak in their non-league schedule, putting over 400 yards of total offense on the Red Devils (3-2, 0-1).
After a scoreless first quarter, Baldwin Park scored two minutes into the second quarter as Wardell Crutchfield scored from seven yards out for the score, but Jaime Toscano’s point-after attempt was off, giving the Braves a 6-0 lead. After the Red Devils were stymied on the next possession, Albert Reyes punted the ball to the Braves’ 15-yard line. On the first play of the possession, Rodriguez hit Jackson on a short pass into the flats, but the receiver broke a couple of tackles and burst into the Red Devil secondary, going the length of the field for an 85-yard score. Toscano nailed the extra point, giving the Braves a 13-point lead.
Pomona’s quarterback, Tavea Cobb, was unable to get any of his pass options to take, connecting only twice in seven attempts in the first half. The Red Devils were forced to punt their next possession, only to have the Braves go 54 yards for a third score, an 11-yard pass by Rodriguez to Samuel Guillen, giving the Braves a 20-0 lead as the half ended.
In the third, the Red Devils, led by running back Jamal Overton, finally got on the board as they went 80 yards for their only score of the night, a two-yard run by Demetrius Counts with 8:31 left in the quarter. On the next possession, the Braves turned a near-fatal 12-yard sack of Rodriguez, which put the Braves on their own 25-yard line on a third-and-23, into a 65-yard touchdown pass to Jackson for his second catch of the game. Toscano again missed the point-after attempt, but the lead was now 19, 26-7, with 1:31 left in the quarter.
The Braves got a last score late in the fourth after Cobb once again failed to connect on a pass, this time a fourth-and-15 throw to Counts from their own 13-yard line which was batted away. On the ensuing possession, Anthony Moran moved the ball 13 yards on four rushes for the score, this one from two yards out. On the point after attempt, the other Toscano brother, Daniel, came in to kick the point after in place of his brother, getting the ball through the uprights, giving the Braves the 33-7 score, which they held on to.
Rodriguez threw nine passes for 270 yards and threw three touchdowns, but was sacked five times, four of which were courtesy of Pomona’s Cordell Sunstrom. For the Red Devils, Cobb completed only six passes out of 23 for 106 yards, but was intercepted once. Jackson caught only four passes but earned 204 yards and scored twice, the 85- and 65-yard passes. Guillen only had two catches for 27 yards, but had one touchdown. Moran rushed 14 times for 72 yards and a touchdown, while Crutchfield ruched 13 times for 61 yards and a score. Counts led the Red Devils ground offense with nine carries for 72 yards and the lone touchdown while Overton carried 13 times for 65 yards.
Baldwin Park goes on the road next week to San Dimas to take on the Saints, while Pomona hosts Northview at Pomona District Field.
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