By Tony Solorzano
(Montebello) – Four passing touchdowns by Christian Espinosa led Cantwell-Sacred Heart to a 35-28 victory over Whittier Christian but a potentially catastrophic injury to one of their junior lineman marred a penalty-ridden match-up of undefeated teams.
It could have been one of the most amazing second-half comebacks so far this year if the Heralds (5-1) had been able to overcome the three-touchdown lead they faced at the end of the first half. But were it not for a penalty at the end of the game, they might have actually tied the game, but more on that later.
The game appeared to be another shootout as Grant Escobar scored on a three-yard run on the Heralds’ first series. However, the Cardinals (5-0) answered back as Espinosa tossed a 19-yard score to Cory Collins with 6:47 left. The Heralds were then stymied on their next possession, forcing to punt back to Cantwell with 5:46 left. Espinosa drove the Cardinals 45 yards for another scoring pass to Collins, this time from a yard out.
The Cardinals scored again as the second quarter began, completing a drive that began with 1:34 left in the first. On the first play of the second, Espinosa found Adam Aguirre for a 69-yard strike, increasing the lead to 14 points. On the ensuing possession, the Heralds went three-and-out and had to punt again with 10:02 left in the half. However, in the 18-play drive, Cantwell nearly imploded as they were called for six penalties for 40 yards, driving the Cantwell crowd, already in a foul mood for being admonished by the referee crew for blowing a whistle in the stands, erupted in a frenzy of boos on each flag.
However, despite Espinosa, a one-time back-up to Schurr quarterback Aaron Cantu during his Pop Warner days, missing on five pass attempts, running back Jonathan Mesa provided the bulk of the offense yards, finishing off the four-minute, 75-yard drive with a 42 yard run to increase the lead to 28-7.
On the next possession, only their fourth of the half, Whittier Christian took advantage of a penalty on the kick-off and started on the Cardinals’ 44-yard line. Quarterback Stephen Anderson connected on a 32-yard pass to Cody Bronkar putting the ball on the Cardinals’ 12-yard line. Four plays later, Escobar scored again from three yards out, cutting the lead in half, 28-14, with 4:40 left.
Espinosa would score a fourth passing touchdown with 14 seconds left in the half as he hit Aguirre a second time, this time for six yards, giving the Cardinals a 35-14 lead. Ironically enough, this would be all of Cantwell’s scoring in the game.
After a scoreless third, the Heralds began their comeback early in the fourth. The Heralds started an 11-play drive from their own five-yard line with 1:27 left in the third and drove the length of the field. Anderson connected on four of his five pass attempts, including a 26-yard strike to Bronkar from mid-field. Escobar took the ball again for seven yards, but a personal foul call on the Cardinals moved the ball to the seven-yard line, setting up Escobar for his third score of the night, a six-yard run with 10:50 left in the game.
The Cardinals got the ball two times in the quarter but failed to find the end zone and the Heralds began another drive with 1:49 left in the game, stopping Mesa’s replacement, James Becerra on a fourth-and-four a yard short of a first down. Cantwell’s defense once again imploded, garnering five more penalties, including two consecutive unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that turned a second-and-16 quarterback run for nine yards into a 30-yard gain and a first down in their own territory. On the next play Anderson ran again for another nine yards, but as the play was finishing, defensive lineman Joshua Mosely collapsed in the backfield, writhing in pain and clutching his left knee. The game was stopped for 25 minutes as the team’s medical staff attended to him until paramedics could arrive on scene. He was taken off the field on a stretcher and transported to a local hospital, his condition is unknown but he was alert and acknowledged the crowd as he was wheeled off.
When play resumed, Anderson found Bronkar in the end zone from nine yards out, closing the gap to seven points with six seconds left. On the ensuing onside kick, Collins attempted to fall on the ball to preserve the victory, but the ball squirted out of his hands and the Heralds recovered it at their own 42-yard line. However, they were called for a false start and on the last play of the game, Anderson’s hook and ladder attempt to Bronkar fumbled and the Heralds were called for an illegal forward pass ending the game.
The Heralds head into Olympic League play next week when they host Maranatha.
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