Covina’s “Dude” Launches Colts into Semis

By Alex Gonzalez

(Alhambra)– With Gevontray Ainsworth seeing limited action, Vincent Venegas shined for six touchdowns as Covina routed Alhambra 49-7 Friday night at Moor Field in Mid-Valley Division Quarterfinal action.

Venegas, 216 yards rushing, was a scoring machine for the Colt’s, rushing for four scores, catching another from quarter back Billy Livingston, and also added a pick six.

“He’s pretty good,” said C-Town HC Darryl Thomas “I’m glad that Vinnie is on our team, he’s our dude.”

Covina (11-1, 6-0) scored early and often on both sides of the ball at the start of the game. Its first score came after Alhambra’s (9-3, 4-1) special teams had a bad snap in punt formation. The Colts were able to recover the ball at the one yard line. Venegas put it in for six on the very next play.

On the Moors ensuing possession quarterback Joshua Mendoza first pass attempt was picked off by Venegas and scored again.

Venegas scored again when the Colt’s 33-yards soon after that.

The Colt’s scored one more time before the first quarter ended when Peter De La Cruz picked up another bad snap when Alhambra tried to punt. At the end of the first it was 28-0.

The Moors defense was able to stop Covina’s offensive attack in the second not allowing them to score. However, Alhambra’s offense couldn’t score either. Mendoza threw his second interception at the start of the second, completing one pass in the first half.

Ezra Broadus struggled as well, his longest gain was 34 yards but his other carries were either no gain or negative yards.

The Moors did score in the second stanza when Mendoza hooked up with Broadus for a 34-yard touchdown pass.

“I think our youth showed,” said Alhambra HC Lou Torres “Our young guys made mistakes we hadn’t made all year.”

On Covina’s first three possessions in the second half, they all ended with scores, and Venegas was behind all the three. A connection from Livingston for a 25-yard touchdown pass. Then he busted out touchdown runs for 82 and 70 yards.

The C-Town victory sets up a semifinal showdown with Monrovia next week.