MidValleySports.Com

Pasadena's Riian Simpson 7 and OC Mike McKay discuss the best route, offensively, to the post season.

(Pasadena) – It nearly happened. For a full half it appeared that Hoover may spring the upset with Pasadena looking ahead to next week’s big contest against Arcadia.

Luckily for the Bulldogs it’s a game of four quarters and in the end, the talented Pasadena team pulled clear of the winless Tornadoes to inch ever closer to its first playoff appearance since 2007 with a 49-19 victory.

Cleo Bates set the tone in the second half with two bone-crushing touchdowns on the ground to help extend and eventually put away Hoover. Bates finished the night with seven carries for 91 yards.

At the end of the game the Tornadoes will be kicking itself as chances early in the third quarter to tie the game went by the wayside with a punt to open the second half and after a fumble recovery it failed to convert on fourth down inside the Bulldogs 35-yard line.

For Pasadena the tandem of Brandon Cox to Marcus Green connected for two scores in the early moments of the first quarter. The first touchdown was from five yards out, while the second came on a one-play 12-drive.

Cox finished with nine completions on 12 attempts for 130 yards and three scores. Green accounted for two touchdowns and 28 yards.

For a team that recently found the end zone for the first time in the Pacific League a week ago, Hoover drove down the field twice in the second quarter to put a scare into the Bulldog faithful. Luke Taboyoyong and Andrew Rangel powered their way toward the first touchdown as each rushed the ball five times for 27 yards. Rangel snuck it in from three yards out for the Tornadoes score.

On its next possession, Rangel and Taboyoyong struck quickly with a 48-yard touchdown pass to cut the Pasadena lead to one.

That was as close as Hoover could get the remainder of the game as an thoughts of a major upset by the Tornadoes went were shot down as Cox found Armon Easley open for a 50-yard strike with 1:47 remaining in the first half.

It took a fumble recovery from Emmanuel Harris and a Charles Collins kick-off return for touchdowns late in the game to allow Pasadena to score more than 40-plus points for the third time this year.

Taboyoyong led all rushers with 118 yards on 30 carries.