Arroyo's Anthony Miller picks up yardage after a catch
(El Monte)- There was a brief moment, seconds before kick off, that Rosemead HC Matt Koffler turned his back to the field and said he was too nervous to watch. Three quarters in and before the Arroyo defense stepped up with key plays, and a pair of pick-sixes, it was probably the Knights faithful and staff that didn’t want to see this game.
Mike Amaya’s 19-yard interception return for a touchdown with 1:01 remaining in the third quarter helped spark Arroyo to a 35-21 victory.
With four and a half minutes left in the third the upset seemed very possible when Panthers quarterback Matt Macias took a third down and eight snap from the Knights 34. Trailing 14-7 Macias had the pocket collapse. Flushed to his right he then reversed his field back to the left before pulling up and launching a pass to Steven San Miguel, who got behind the Arroyo secondary. The touchdown and subsequent extra-point evened the score at 14-14.
The Knights were forced to punt on their next series and Mead took over at its own 10 with all the momentum on its side.
Matt Fregoso was stoned for no gain on first down. On second down Macias looked to his left for San Miguel, but Amaya, reading the play jumped the route and Arroyo never looked back.
After seeing their 8:16 drive to open the game end with Steven Rivera getting picked off by the Panthers Andrew Gibson, the Knights jumped to a 14-0 lead. Before scoring on a 1-yard run near the end of the second, Rivera hit Mike Vasquez with a 10-yard scoring pass with five ticks remaining in the first.
With 4:24 to play in the first half, marooned at his own eight, and down by two scores, it suddenly turned into Matt Koffler’s kind of game. The Panthers offensive line began to create room and Fregoso was able to light through it. The talented tailback broke off a 26-yard run on second down and purchased an additional 15 when a late hit flag was added. Four plays later he ran 9-yards to set up a fourth and two at the Arroyo 23.
Using play action Macias found Matt Eddy for an 11-yard gain to the 12…and then Fregoso brought his team to within striking distance with a rip through the Knights defense to paydirt.
Fregoso finished the contest 174-yards and the lone touchdown.
The victory improved Arroyo to 6-1 overall, but more importantly to 2-o in the Mission Valley League. Rosemead, still very much in the hunt for a playoff spot, fell to 4-3 and 1-1 in league.
Following the Amaya touchdown, Arroyo’s offense landed the finishing blow on its next possession. With 11:48 to play in the fourth quarter, 60 yards from the Panthers goal line, Offensive Coordinator Chris MacMillan called the plays and Rivera executed them. A 13-yard run by the southpaw quarterback, hurdling a defender, brought the Knights close and a 9-yard pass to Anthony Miller brought them even closer, but it was Miller’s 23-yard option pass to David Guerrero that provided the 28-14 advantage.
Eight seconds later Alex Aceves intercepted a Macias pass and returned it 40-yards through traffic to make the score 35-14.
A 7-yard touchdown pass from Macias to Danny Villalobos made things appear a little closer than they were at the end.
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