Arroyo HC Jim Singiser is triumphant as the Knights won their first road playoff game since 2005.
(Bell Gardens)- Bell Gardens looked overwhelmed, and Arroyo looked hungry in the Knights 42-14 victory over the Almont League champs on friday night in the first round of the CIF Mid-Valley Division playoffs.
“Our passing game is not built come from behind like that,” said Lancers HC David Ramos. “They went up and it became difficult for us to come back. Their offensive line set the tone early.”
Arroyo’s offensive line set the tone, but again it was running back Peter Aholoka making the music rushing for 209 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns. He was joined by quarterback Nathan Coto who had two scoring runs and added another 84 yards on 15 carries.
From the scoreboard, to ball control, to everything in between Bell Gardens was trying to catch up all night.
It was also a productive night for Coto through the air as he connected with six different receivers in an 11 for 16 effort for 137 yards.
Still with less than a minute gone in the game the Lancers scored first when Charles Ontiveros hit a wide open tight end Joseph Ortiz, who covered 78-yards to paydirt.
Arroyo knotted things with a 11-play 63-yard drive that finished with Aholoka going in from 2-yards.
Three minutes after that Aholoka turned the corner, ignited the jets, and went 81-yards to paydirt for what essentially turned out to be the game winner.
Adrian Hernandez’s 20-yard field goal made it 17-7 Knights at halftime.
With the Arroyo defense playing some its best football of the season, the Lancer offense struggled to get on track. Trailing by two scores they went away from the running game and things only got worse.
Seven minutes in the third Coto, on a rollout, hit Jesus Calvillo on a 6-yard scoring toss.
After the teams traded turnovers Bell Gardens running back Jorge Remigio scored on a 8-yard run to narrow the gap, but that was all it did.
The Knights opened the fourth quarter by going 67 yards on eight plays with Coto scoring on a 14-yard run. The point after was missed but the advantage was 29-14 Arroyo.
Sonny Gonzalez, already with two fumble recoveries on the night, provided the back breaker with a 16-yard interception return for a touchdown that made it 26-14 with the point after.
Coto closed the scoring with 3:56 to play on a 9-yard run.
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