The on field heroics of Darien McGee continued Friday with his third consecutive game with a kick-off return for a touchdown.
(South Pasadena)- South Pasadena didn’t exactly have a foot on the neck of the Maranatha, but they did have them right where they wanted them before an eye blink, a heart beat, and the Minutemen’s 35-14 victory Friday night.
The Tigers led most of the first half and had the advantage in a 14-14 tie at the break. Martin Konrad’s squad ran nearly three times (34 to 12) the offensive plays Maranatha did in the first two quarters controlling ball and clock.
“I told my guys if they could make a stop,” said Minutemen HC Pete Karavedas. “That it would be 28-14 before they knew it.”
To start the third quarter SP made a fatal error when it kicked the ball to Darrien McGee. Against Salesian two weeks before McGee took a fourth quarter kick-off back for a score. Last week against La Canada he took a fourth quarter kick-off back for a score, Friday night he took the third quarter kick-off 94-yards for the go ahead touchdown.
“He doesn’t surprise me at all. We knew Darien was going to have a break out season,” said Karavedas. “Last year there were so many offensive weapons on this team he really didn’t get his opportunity.”
South Pasadena’s next possession ended on a three and out. Following the punt Maranatha took over at the SP 42 with 9:57 to play in the quarter. On first down Andrew Elffers threw a hitch to McGee (Note to Defenses: Don’t let him catch the ball either) and the talented receiver turned it into a 40-yard gain as he weaved through the defense to the two. Elffers pushed the ball across on the next play and before you could say Brian DeHaan it was 28-14 Minutemen.
The Tigers offense, so efficient in the first half, faced a tougher defense in the second. This resulted in a punt, turnover on downs on fake field goal, and two more TOD’s later in the half.
“We were soft in the first half defensively, no doubt about it,” said Karavedas. “But our guys stepped up and responded.”
South Pasadena started the game with a 77 yard drive on 13 plays, capped by Nathan Lee’s 5-yard run after nearly seven minutes had been taken off the clock. Twice the Tigers converted on third down and sophomore quarterback Joey Harmon passed and ran the ball effectively.
Maranatha’s following possession covered 65 yards in four plays. The first was a 13-yard run by Cliff Martin. The last was a 51-yard bomb to tight end Robert Flewelling.
Fumbles ended the next drives for both teams. The Tigers were on the march and reached the Minutemen 27 before they coughed the ball up on an exchange and it was recovered by ‘Natha’s Casey Ng.
Starting at the 50, Maranatha drove to inside the SP one before Omar Younger lost control of the ball trying to reach across the goal line. South Pas linebacker Gus Shettleroe recovered in the end zone.
The Tigers went right back to work covering 80 yards in nearly six minutes with the ball. They ran 10 plays and converted another pair of third downs using the solid running of Sean Magill, Gio Fata, Bert Ngnibogha, and Lee. Harmon scored on a 2-yard keeper with 2:48 to play in the second quarter.
The Minutemen needed one play to knot the game at 14-14. On first down from his own 37, Younger took the ball 63-yards to tie the game and set the stage for the second half.
Harmon finished 11 of 26 for 154 yards, seven of those completions went to tight end Justin Conford for 112 yards. South Pasadena is now 3-2
Maranatha, which received 137 rushing yards from Younger, is now 6-0 heading into Olympic League play.
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