The Mad One Takes the Leap! TC Tailback Max Ruckle scored four times Thursday night. (Photo by C. Mota)
(La Canada)- Temple City blew to a 20-0 lead, weathered a mild storm, and defeated La Canada 40-20 Thursday night in the Rio Hondo opener.
The Rams Max Ruckle didn’t have what has become a standard Ruckle night (25-30 carries, 180-yards), but he still bludgeoned the host Spartans with four touchdowns on 15 for 68-yards rushing.
Standard Justin Smith, means the senior quarterback just keeps getting better each week. Smith was 14 of 18 for 310-yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for another score.
“Justin’s been great,” said TC head coach Anthony White. “We believe he is one of the best quarterbacks in the area.”
After trading turnovers to start the game, the Rams offense finally got on a paying basis when Ruckle scored on a four-yard run. At the end of the first Smith went in from in from two-yards out.
With 6:15 to play in the half the Rams used a short field and key passes from Smith to Andrew Torres (5-69-yards), David Spratt (3-67 Td), and Andrew Anda (4-122) in setting up a nine-yard scoring run by Ruckle.
Drew Tinsley added the point after and before you could say Joe Oberlander, TC was up 20-0.
Unable to establish a consistent ground game and down three scores, first year La Canada coach Dan Yoder put the game in the hands of quarterback Rocky Moore.
Moore, who went 15 of 31 for 265 for two touchdowns and an interception, pulled his team within striking distance with a pair of bombs.
The first from 60-yards out with 46-seconds left in the half to Brent Johnson. The second covered 43-yards, midway through the third, to Jay Kolina.
“We’re still young,” said White. “But we’re getting better. If we minimize the big plays we’d be okay. All year we’d be okay.”
Temple City went 65-yards on nine plays in its next series, highlighted by a 30-yard run from Ruckle before he capped it from seven yards with 10 ticks left in the third.
In the fourth Ruckle got his fourth on a five-yard run, and Smith went 24-yards to the recently turned lethal Spratt.
The Spartans Daleep Sandhu window dressed the final score with an eight-yard run to paydirt as LC fell to 2-3.
The victory is the Rams third in a row, now 3-2-1 they prepare for a league showdown with Monrovia next week.
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