MidValleySports.Com

By Joseph Rodriguez

(Rowland Heights) – Rowland Coach Ryan Jacobson was welcomed by his team as the Raiders earned a hard fought 33-28 victory over over Nogales Friday night.

Successor to Coach Craig Snyder, who led Rowland to four league titles over his tenure, Jacobson couldn’t have asked for a better opening drive. The Raiders opening drive began at their own 13 yard line that was capped by a 43 yard run by Jackie Zhang for a 7-0 lead with 5:38 left in the first quarter.

Nogales answered when running back Cameron Etgland ran for a 30 yard score as time expired in the quarter to tie the game 7-7. Rowland scored on its first drive of the second quarter when quarterback Nathaniel Sanchez scored from one yard out to put the Raiders up 14-7. The score would stay the same going in to the half.

Coming out for the second half both teams tried to establish the passing game to no avail. Nogales greatest success came off of broken plays or when it stretched Rowland’s defense to isolate defenders in open space to create missed tackles. While Rowland’s success came giving the ball to Zhang, who had a monster game rushing for 268 yards.

Nogales scored with 8:02 remaining in the third quarter when quarterback Matt Arrellano scrambled off of a broken play for an eleven yard touchdown that brought Nogales within one, 14-13, after a missed extra point.

The Raiders went back up 21-13 with 1:18 left in the third quarter on a 54 yard touchdown run by Zhang. Nogales came back to tie the game 21-21 in the fourth quarter on a 14 yard touchdown run by Matt Arrellano followed by  a successful two point conversion.

Rowland regained control of the game behind two fourth quarter touchdown passes from Sanchez to go up 33-21 with 1:18 left in the fourth. On the ensuing kickoff Etgland raced 95 yards to bring Nogales within five, 33-28. But whatever hopes remained for Nogales were squashed when Nogales’ onside kick was recovered by Rowland to put the game away.