Monrovia running back Marquise Bias
(Monrovia) On the legs of Marquis Bias the Monrovia Wildcats ran away to a 24-7 win over the Pomona Red Devils Friday night in Monrovia in the first round of the CIF Mid Valley Division Playoffs.
The Senior running back Bias carried the ball 28 times for 206 yards and a score. Also in on the action was Deshawn Ramirez who added 66 yards rushing and a touchdown and also threw a 24 yard touchdown pass.
The Wildcats got on the board first early in the first quarter on a Bias 36 yard run. The score was set up by the Monrovia defense who forced a Sir-Darius Yabrough fumble at the Pomona 35. Brett Walsh came up with the loose ball setting the Wildcats up deep in Red Devil territory.
It didn’t take long for Pomona to knot the game. On the Red Devil’s first play from scrimmage after the Monrovia score, Yabrough got to the edge of the Wildcat defense, turned on the jets and outraced the Monrovia defenders to paydirt
Neither team found much offensive traction and the score remained tied for the remainder of the half.
The Wildcats broke the scoring drought with 10:03 left in the third period. Ramirez got the call, went up the middle, and found daylight for a 38 yard score. Mason Bryant added the extra point and Monrovia was in the lead.
Ellis McCarthy, Walsh and the rest of the Wildcat defense turned up the heat and shut down the talented Red Devil offense for the rest of the game.
Pomona got a sniff of the endzone later in the fourth as Yabrough hooked up with Terell Mosby on a 77 yard half back pass. The only thing that kept Mosby out of the endzone was great hustle by Ramirez who raced down field, caught and tackled Mosby at the three yard line.
Two plays later Yabrough coughed the ball up for the second time in the game. George Frazier pounced on the loose ball and ended the Pomona threat.
Bryant added a 25 yard field goal with 9:08 left in the final frame to give the Wildcats a two score advantage.
The final nail in the Red Devil coffin came with less than two minutes to play. After taking over on downs at the Pomona 33, Ramirez found Luke Williams on Monrovia’s own half back pass that Williams caught at the Red Devil six. Williams managed to spin around and muscle his way in for the touchdown. Bryant added the extra point to put the final touches on the 24-7 win.
Up now for Monrovia is a trip south to Whittier to take on the Whittier Christian Heralds. It will be the third time in three years that the two will meet in the post season. The Wildcats hold a 2-0 advantage over the Heralds including a win in last years Mid Valley Division final.
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