By Alex Gonzalez
(Baldwin Park) – Covina backs Gevontray Ainsworth and Vincent Venegas ran for a combined 304 yards as the Colts manage to stop a Baldwin Park comeback and beat the Braves 26-18 at Ted K Gorrell Memorial Stadium Friday night.
In a tale of two half’s it was all Covina in the first with Ainsworth and Venegas pounding the ball and added three scores. In the second Baldwin Park changed it all.
In the Colts second possession of offense backup quarterback Daniel Sifuentes suffered concussion like symptoms after being hit and was side lined. Senior quarterback Billy Livingston did suite up for the game and was warming up.
Head coach Darryl Thomas made the decision to put in Livingston with six minutes left in the third, but his first pass was intercepted.
The Braves didn’t convert but in the fourth quarterback Sean Moran did connect with tight end Samuel Guillen for a nine-yard score in the corner of the end zone. After converting the two-point conversion it was 26-18 with less than five minutes to play.
On the ensuing kickoff the BP needed the ball to bounce in the favor when they attempted the onside-kick and it did. Then driving the ball down field with short, quick, passes they moved deep into Covina territory.
When the Colt’s had a chance to derail the Braves drive they were with a roughing the passer penalty that took the ball to their own seven with one second left in the game.
As the Braves lined up for the last play, everyone in the stadium knew what they were going to do; a jump ball pass to Guillen.
Covina managed to knock the ball down as the final second ticked off.
“I’d rather win ugly then lose pretty”. Coach Thomas said. “We got to play football no matter if we have Billy (Livingson) or not. We just got to play.”
For the Braves they look at this loss as a moral victory. They also received a solid performance from Moran. The sophmore quarterback did not throw a pick and finished 28 of 47 for 241 yards passing and two scores.
“We are proud of our guy’s effort tonight. We can’t make mistakes on a good football team like them,” BP head coach James Heggins said. “I tip my hat off to them, there a great team.”
Baldwin Park will look to get its first league win when they travel to Pomona next Friday.With the win C-Town stays undefeated in the Valle Vista and visits Nogales.
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