Cal's Terris Jones rushed for 118-yards and two touchdowns Thursday night
By Joe Torosian
(Whittier)- Turnovers and a sluggish offense did in California as they fell to La Mirada, 35-20, on Thursday night at Whittier District Field.
Matador quarterback Daniel Ponce De Leon completed 16 of 20 passes for 196-yards for one touchdown and rushed for two more to lead his team from a 7-7 tie to a 21-7 halftime lead and eventual victory.
The Condors countered with Terris Jones, who lined up in the slot, tailback, and quarterback to rush for 117-yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns.
La Mirada went 80-yards on 13-plays before Ponce De Leon scored from a yard out. Cal answered back with an 81-yard drive of its own that Jones capped with 11-yard run to tie the score.
The Matadors pulled away on the next series when Julian Matta turned a simple out pattern into an 80-yard touchdown. The Condors fumbled two plays into their next drive and moments later J.T. Torres rumbled 14-yards to paydirt to make it 21-7.
After Jones scored on a three-yard run to open the third, Cal collected only one more first down until the final seconds of the game. Quarterback Eddie Artiga missed on his final seven attempts.
La Mirada added another six-minute bone cruncher of a drive that Ponce De Leon finished with a one-yard run, and Ralph Gramajo intecepted an Artiga pass and returned it 17-yards for the touchdown to secure the blow out.
In the final moments Adam Contreras came in for the Condors and completed four of five passes for 72-yards, including a 34-yard strike to Ben Siepak to close the scoring.
Cal is now 0-2, La Mirada improved to 2-1.
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