By Alex Gonzalez
(South Pasadena) – South Pasadena’s defense picked off three passes and forced two fumbles in a 21-6 win over La Canada at Ray Solaria Stadium Friday night.
The Tigers D allowed one rushing score by Spartan quarterback Matt Jones late in the second quarter, but they also picked the ball off and forced a fumble in the first half, killing the Spartans hopes to score before half time.
The South Pas offense struggled before intermission failing to put the ball in the end zone. The closest the Tigers got to putting points on the board was a 46-yard field goal, but kicker Dominic Frescura hooked his kick to the right missing an opportunity for three.
The score was manageable for both teams at half as La Canada went into the locker room up 6-0. The Spartans also had the edge of getting the ball back to start the second half.
But in the second half South Pas turned it around.
When asked about second half adjustments, Tigers Coach Martin Konrad said
“We made no adjustments…we told those guys to go out there and play football. They didn’t come out to play in the first half. La Canada did a great job.”
The Tigers forced a three and out on the Spartans first possession at the start of the second half, giving the South Pasadena offense a short field to work with. The Tigers needed only three plays into their series when quarterback Joey Harmon connected with Telanto Harvey on a 40 yard pass for six.
La Canada tried responding with a drive, but it was cut short when running back Kevin Stoner fumbled a pitch from Jones in the red zone, killing the momentum LC was building.
The Tigers’ defense did not let the Spartans get close to the end zone. Linebacker Gus Shettleroe had an interception in the fourth putting the game out of reach.
For extra insurance, running back Sean Magill scored twice late in the fourth from 17 and 29 yards out.
“It’s hard to win when you turn the ball over,” said La Canada Coach Dan Yoder “We moved it down the field twice, and had some unfortunate errors happen to us down there.”
With the win, South Pas moves to 2-0 in league play and plays Blair next week. LC looks to pick things up against Temple City.
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