M-Town Celebrates in The Marino
By Juan Carlos Salas
(San Marino) – One team had to fall and Monrovia made sure if wasn’t them, defeating San Marino, 14-12, in a Friday night exhibition on what not to do on special teams.It was a defensive battle until late in the game when San Marino started in good field position at the Monrovia 40, after a bad punt. Following a Wildcat penalty that moved the ball to the Monrovia 13, the Titans Joe Forgatch called his number and found space outside for the touchdown, cutting the lead 14-12.
Needing a 2-point conversion, due to a missed extra point kick earlier in the game, Forgatch, trying to find Stevie Yortsos for the deuce, rolled to his left but the toss came up short.
Monrovia recovered the onside kick and milked the last few seconds to survive with the win to start league.
“Our guys played their guts out with everything they had,” said San Marino head coach D.R. Moreland. “They left nothing on the field, played with their hearts and I am really proud the way out kids played.”
Nick Bueno and Derrick Johnson did the damage for Monrovia, while Forgatch drove the Titans to two touchdowns.
San Marino started shaky and Monrovia capitalized scoring on its first drive. Bueno found Jay Henderson for a 24-yard pass and moments later Derrick Johnson plowed through the line for a 7-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
After another unsuccessful drive, the Titans recovered a botched punt by Monrovia’s Christian Blanco on the Wildcat 44. San Marino got on the board with donuts on the clock after Forgatch found Lo Tim in the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown. Yet Monrovia held a slim lead, 7-6, after a SM failed extra-point attempt.
Monrovia made it 14-6 late in the second quarter on a 72-yard drive which Bueno capped finding space in the middle for a 16-yard touchdown.
The Titans could’ve cut the lead, but after advancing to the Wildcat one Benny Hung was stripped in mid-air going over the goal line.
“Our whole defense played great,” said Monrovia head coach Ryan Maddox. “We have a bunch of individuals. But when they play together, they can do something special. There are a lot of good teams in our league and only three go. It’s going to be a dog fight.”
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