MidValleySports.Com

Keys to Go-Vina

By Mike Martin

(Covina)- Covina has to be excited to come away with a 21-14 win after shutting down Pomona late in the fourth quarter on Friday night.

After dominating on offense in the first half, the Colts were finally able to put points on the board with 7:27 remaining in the second. Vinny Venegas muscled his way through the D-Line for a 3-yard touchdown run. Randy Robledo tacked on the extra point to put the Colts up 7-0.

Four minutes later Pomona’s offense came to life when Tavea Cobb took over for Demetrius Counts, and pushed the Red Devils onto the scoreboard with a sneak from one yard out. Albert Reyes booted the PAT to knot it up at 7-7 with 3:06 remaining in the half.

Covina took one last shot with 1:01 remaining to try and take the lead going into the half, but Robledo was denied when his 33-yard field goal attempt bounced off the left side post.

The Colts took control again late in the third. Quarterback Billy Livingston, and all round go-to guy Venegas, drove C-Town downfield. Venegas capped the advance with a 3-yard touchdown run down the sideline with 4:19. Robledo’s extra point was good and the Colts were back on top by the end of the third 14-7.

Covina’s one-two punch of Livingston and Venegas continued at the start of the fourth. With 9:29 left in the game a touchdown pass, off of the second of three interceptions for Pomona, seemed to silence the Red Devils sideline as Livingston connected from 9-yards out with Gevontray Ainsworth. After the PAT it looked all but over for Pomona with the score of 21-7.

After a forced fumble and a couple of stops by Pomona, Counts (returning from an ankle injury earlier in the quarter) put the moves on the Covina defense for a 7-yard scoring run with 4:17 remaining. After Reyes split the uprights Pomona was back with in seven.

Counts rallied the Red Devils with just over a minute remaining from their own 10 to put the scare in Covina, but the Colts defense stiffened after a 76-yard drive and took over the ball on downs at its own 14

With thirty-eight ticks left on the clock. Livingston wisely took a knee to end the game, capping off a fitting end to one of the oldest rivalries in high school football (first game played to a 5-5 tie in 1905).

Covina (5-0, 8-1) will take their five game win streak into San Dimas (3-1,5-3) for their final regular season game. Pomona (0-4, 3-5) will welcome Wilson (1-3, 4-4) next Friday night.

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