Nick Castillo carries the Spartans to victory.
(San Gabriel) In a battle for Almont League supremacy, the San Gabriel Matadors and the Schurr Spartans duked it out for four quarters Friday night and in the end, the Spartans outlasted the Matadors 38-30.
In stead of having a chance to head toward the locker room with a lead, the Matadors were now on defense trying to hold the Spartans to a lead of just four.
The Spartans quickly capitalized on the turnover using five plays to cover the 37-yards. Aaron Cantu found Chris Chairmonte from three yards away and with the Angel Sanchez extra point, Schurr seemed to be in the drivers seat 21-10.
Matador Head Coach Keith Jones tried to change the momentum of the game to start the second half with an onside kick. The attempt failed and the Spartans covered the ball in great field position at the San Gabriel 49-yard line.
Schurr’s Nick Castillo ripped off a 33-yard run to pay dirt to cap a three play drive. Sanchez added the extra point and the Spartans extended their lead to 18.
Castillo returned to the place where he started his high school football career with a stellar evening gaining 196 yards on 27 carries with two scores.
With just under six minutes left in third the Matadors drew to within 12 on a three yard run by Arthur Brown. Brown set the scoring drive up as well when he picked off Cantu at the Schurr 45 and returned the ball to the Spartan 20.
After a 17-yard field goal by Sanchez pushed the lead back to 15, Valdez led the Matadors on a scoring drive of 56-yards calling his own number on a one yard run. The two point conversion failed but San Gabriel was in striking distance down by nine.
Pride an focus was on display for 48 minutes as the Spartans countered the Matador touchdown with a score of their own. Cantu scored on a six yard quarterback draw with 2:07 left in the final frame to give the Spartan faithful a little breathing room 38-22
The reprieve was short lived as Valdez and company went on the march and quickly drove the 80-yards before them. Fabian Amaro had two big catches on the drive and Mark Covarrubias finished it with a two yard catch. Covarrubias also caught the two point conversion to get San Gabriel to within eight.
Two attempts to retrieve an onside kick failed and with only 30 seconds left to play, Cantu took a knee two times to preserve the victory.
Not to be lost in the defeat was the stellar play of Valdez. The Matador’s senior played inspiring football amassing 278-yards of offense and three touchdowns.
With the win, Schurr clinches at worst a share of their seventh straight Almont League Title. A win next week at home against Bell Gardens will give it to them outright.
San Gabriel will be at home again next week to face Montebello and a win locks up a playoff spot.
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