MidValleySports.Com

By Tony Solorzano

(Bell Gardens) – Four touchdowns from Jorge Remigo and Ramiro Suarez helped Bell Gardens open their 2012 football season by knocking off Northwest Division powerhouse Torrance 36-33 Friday night at Bell Gardens High.

Just like last year, the Lancers (1-0, 0-0) opened their season with a physically demanding slugfest with the Tartars (1-1, 0-0), but unlike last year’s result at Zamperini Stadium, a 50-43 loss, The Lancers hung on for dear life to escape with the victory.

“It really looked like a first game for us,” said a visibly spent Lancers coach David Ramos. “We did some things good, but we did some things all over the place, really first-game executions that we hope to get cleaned up.”

The fight started early in the first quarter as the teams exchanged touchdowns within 13 seconds of each other. Aaron Salva put the Tartars up first with a one-yard run with 8:05 left in the opening quarter, then Kamal Miller ran in the two-point conversion. On the ensuing kick-off, Gerardo Coronel fielded the ball at the Lancer 20 and broke three tackles near mid-field and broke free for the 80-yard score. Remigo then took a pass from quarterback Charles Ontiveros to tie the game, 8-8, with 7:52 still remaining.

About two minutes later, Remigo scored himself as he caught a pass in the secondary from Ontiveros and ran 47 yards for a go-ahead touchdown. Not to be outdone, Miller ended the quarter by running in a score from 178 yards out, tying the game as the first ended at 15-15

In the second, the Tartars took the lead on a 75-yard interception by Leo Fuimaono early in the quarter. But the Lancers answered back when they got the ball back on the kick off. Coronel took the kick at the 15 and nearly made it all the way into the end zone but the Tartars stopped him at their own 25-yard line, giving Ontiveros excellent field position. Remigo ran the ball five times and scored from a yard out with 8:15 left, tying the game again at 22-22. But the Tartars took back the lead on a 35-yard field goal from Tommy Nash, culminating a nine-play drive with 21 seconds left in the half.

In the second half, Suarez became the go-to scorer for the Lancers, rushing for 65 yards in the second half, scoring the final two Lancers touchdowns to put them on top for good. Suarez put the Lancers up by four as he took a draw from Ontiveros and rushed 27 yards for the go-ahead score with 6:23 left in the third. Suarez would increase the Lancers’ lead late in the fourth, capitalizing on a Tartars fumble deep in their own territory. Suarez scored from 11 yards out with 2:28 left in the game, giving the Lancers a seemingly insurmountable 36-25 lead.

However, the Tartars had one opportunity to score after Kalama was intercepted on his first play from scrimmage after Suarez’ touchdown. The Lancers attempted a reverse but the ball was fumbled away, which the Tartars recovered on their own 45-yard line. Kalama threw nine passes in the drive, but only connected on three of them, a 17-yard pass to Malik Breown and two 18-yuard strikes to Bobby Wilson, who put the Tartars on the Lancer 2-yard line. Two plays later, Kalama ran the ball in for the score. On the point after, Kalama hit Wilson on the right side for the two-point conversion.

The Lancers, however, managed to recover the onside kick with 30 seconds left in the game, and Ontiveros ended the game by taking a knee to seal the victory.

The Lancers will host El Rancho for another edition of the “Black-And-Blue Bowl” while the Tartars head home to host intra-city Rivals, West Torrance.