"Gather around and tell the story, let the legend grow and grow, about the Friday night of glory for Mead's Matt Fregoso."
(Rosemead)- The legend of the Flying Dutchman, a ship perpetually at sea, seen but never caught, is very much like the image Rosemead’s Matt Fregoso will be to Temple City defenders who tried to catch him on Friday night for years to come. He will be perpetually on the run, seen but never caught, repeatedly scoring one touchdown after another.
TC grandchildren will be put to bed with stories of a Gliding Fregoso, a legendary tailback who can still be seen in the mists at Lower Azusa and Rosemead Boulevard.
Not bad, perhaps a tinge syrupy…but 372 yard performances, accompanied by seven touchdowns, have a way of inspiring. They also paved the way for Rosemead’s 49-36 victory over Temple City in the first round of the Mid-Valley Division playoffs.
The Panthers Matt Fregoso’s 372 yards on 43 carries and seven scores allowed Mead to improve to 8-3 on the season and advance to a second round match against Village Christian. The Rams finished the year 4-7 after an inspired effort kept them in the contest till the end.
TC took the lead on a blocked punt with 9:04 to play in the first quarter. Tim Sanderson got a hand on it and Luis Lopez cradled the wounded the kick at the 50 and took it the distance.
The lead would stand for six minutes before a botched fake punt attempt by the Rams landed the Panthers at the Temple City 21. Three plays later Fregoso had his first score on a 9-yard run.
After a quick three and out, TC got a monster punt out of Nick Palmer. The ball finally stopped rolling 75-yards later at the Mead four. The monster punt was followed by a monster run as Fregoso hit the corner, turned on the jets, and was gone 96-yards.
“All I was thinking,” said Fregoso. “Was I didn’t want anyone to catch me from behind.”
The time to rollover had arrived for the Rams, but instead Mike McFarland’s team answered with a 9-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard pass from Mikal Quintanilla to Palmer and the game was tied at 14.
Nine plays later Fregoso scored again on 3-yard run to make it 21-14.
Again TC came back, this time with a 20-yard field goal by Palmer to make it 21-17 at the break.
The Rams regained the lead to open the third quarter on a 14-yard run by Josh Simangunsong. The short 32-yard drive was highlighted by Tyler Roach’s big kick-off return.
Fregoso returned the ensuing kick to midfield and the Mead offensive line began to take control. Over the course of the next 12 plays they began to push the line of scrimmage forward and Fregoso began taking his first hits two yards downfield instead of in the backfield. This advanced ended the way they all did for the Panthers, Fregoso scored on a 9-yard run and Matt Koffler’s team had the lead for good.
On the kick-off the pooch kick was misplayed by TC and Rosemead recovered. Four plays later Fregoso scored on an 11-yard run to make it 35-24.
A few heartbeats later Fregoso went 74-yards to paydirt.
Still mounting an effort to keep their improbable season alive the Rams Sanderson grabbed a pass along the sideline from Quintanilla and went 67-yards for the touchdown.
Lets’s play psychic…What do you think happened next…?
If you said Fregoso went 20-yards following a failed onside kick attempt you were right.
With a 1:58 to play Quintanilla swung a pass to Lopez who covered 12-yards for the game’s final score.
Paul Cruz started at quarterback for the Panthers in place of the injured Matt Macias, who is still nursing a sore shoulder and status will be day to day as Mead prepares for the Crusaders at Moyse Stadium next Friday night in the quarterfinals.
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