(Montebello) The Schurr Spartans used a fourth quarter rally to erase a seven point deficit and come from behind to defeat the visiting Alhambra Moors 28-21 Friday night at Ken Davis Field.
“It looked kind of dim there for a moment. We kept our poise and kept playing. If you just keep playing and don’t hang your heads, good things are going to happen and that’s what our boys did tonight” commented Spartan Head Coach Ben Negrete after the game.
The Spartans went up 7-0 with early after Carlos Arredondo returned a Moor punt to the Moor 48. Aaron Cantu hooked up with Arredondo on a 14-yard strike over the middle for the score.
Later in the first frame it looked like Alhambra had a chance to draw even after Mitchell Crockum picked Cantu off and returned the ball to the Schurr 15-yard line.
The drive stalled and after Darrian Cazarin was sacked back at the Moor 23, Alhambra trotted out Alex Lopez to attempt a 40-yard field goal but the kick was blocked.
After the blocked kick the Spartans went on a seven play drive but were turned away when Cantu’s pass to Mark Avila fell incomplete on fourth and goal from the two yard line.
Schurr’s defense did its job and held the Alhambra offense to no yards on the next drive and Cazarin was forced to drop back in punt formation. Cazarin didn’t get as much on the punt as he would have liked and the ball was downed on the Moor 25.
The Spartans capitalized on the great field position only needing two plays to go up 14-0. Cantu found his favorite target on the night Arredondo on a 20-yard strike. Cantu struggled a bit on the night completing 14 of 25 passes with three interceptions but three touchdowns to make up for the miscues.
The Moors cut the lead to 14-7 late in the first half on a 24-yard strike from Cazarin to Crockum. Crockum made a great play on the ball maintaining concentration as the ball was tipped twice before he gained control and worked his way to paydirt.
The touchdown was the lone highlight for Cazarin who finished the night hitting on only nine of 24 passes for 94-yards, the lone score and three interceptions.
Late in the third period, Alhambra used a bit of trickery to get the score even.
Crockum came in motion and took the handoff from Cazarin. Instead of continuing to the outside, Crockum pulled up and tossed the ball in the direction of the endzone. Waiting there was Dominic Gonzalez who hauled it in.
Crockum’s second pick of Cantu at the Alhambra 45 set the Moors up for the go ahead score. Brandon Wilson did the honors this time pounding his way in from one yard out.
With 2:48 left in the fourth quarter Arredondo capped off a six play, 65-yard drive on a nine yard pass from Cantu to tie the game at 21-21. Arredondo finished the evening catching 11 passed for 121-yards and three touchdowns.
Tragedy struck for the Moors on the ensuing drive. Cazarin’s pass on the first play from scrimmage was picked off by Nathan Ayon who returned the ball to the Alhambra 35. A personal foul by Alhambra tacked on 15 more yards and set the Spartans up deep in Moor territory.
Castillo banged through the go ahead score with less than a minute left to play finishing off a five play drive. Castillo was the work horse on the night carrying the ball 29 times for 143-yards and the lone touchdown.
Ayon iced the game for the Spartans when he picked off his second pass from Cazarin with just a few ticks left on the clock.
The Spartans will travel north next week to take on the Keppel Aztecs while the Moors will travel south to match up with the Montebello Oilers.
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