MidValleySports.Com

Brown's score helped Mayfair get the lead.

(Bellflower) – For a brief moment on Friday night, Bellflower looked as though it solved the riddle of how to beat Mayfair for the first time since 1997.

That quickly changed in the second quarter as the Monsoons scored 13 points before the break and then cruised to a 26-5 win to take control of its Suburban League title destiny.

The rushing tandem of Aaron Brown and Jerry Smith found huge holes in the second quarter to each score on runs of 22 and 26 yards to help ignite a sluggish Mayfair offense.

Brown finished the night with 20 carries and 159 yards with a score, while Smith on limited touches recorded 98 yards and two touchdowns.

While the Monsoons figured out the Buccaneers defense, the same could not be said for its counterpart on the opposite side of the field that failed to score three times inside the redzone.

Bellflower’s largest opportunity to put some distance between itself and Mayfair came early in the second quarter with a slim 2-0 lead.

Travis Newberry and Ryan Hunley helped the Bucs get to the Monsoons 1-yard line only. Newberry and Hunley accounted for 50 of the 57 yards gained on the drive.

Unfortunately a combination of a false start and a stingy defense only led to a Julio Portillo 25-yard field goal to extend the lead to five.

On its next possession Mayfair’s offense awoke from its slumber and took to the ground with Brown and Smith providing much of damage. Smith finished the drive on a 26 yard gallop.

Smith was limited to just four carries, but made them count.

After a Bellflower punt two minutes remaining. The Monsoons struck quickly with a Christian Woo finding Josh Anderson for a 38-yard completion. Brown did the rest on a bruising 22-yard run to give Mayfair a 13-5 lead.

When the two teams returned after the intermission, the Monsoons found ways to stop Newberry and Hunley gaining any real critical yards to get back in the game. Mayfair’s defense bended but didn’t break and the Monsoon offense did enough to extend its winning streak over the surprising Buccaneers.

On its opening possession of the second half steady dose of Brown and Woo rushing set up a score. Woo found Tykwan Tanner in the corner of the end zone for a 15-yard score to give Mayfair breathing room.

Newberry and Hunley attempted to get Bellflower back in the game right after the score. Newberry returned the kick-off 55 yards to the Monsoon 35-yard line. The Buccaneer offense found itself again inside redzone, only to be stopped by a combination of penalties and tough defense.

An early 41-yard dash by Smith to the endzone, that left Bellflower defenders strewn all over the field allowed Mayfair to ice the game in the fourth quarter.

Both Newberry and Hunley accounted for 208 yards on 38 carries.