Minutemen Tardy, But Victorious

By Joe Torosian

(Pasadena)— Some folks are sticklers for starting on time. If a football game is supposed to start at the 12:00 mark of the first quarter, then it should. For Maranatha on Friday night against Bassett it started with roughly 2:13 to play in the quarter.

The Olympians were ready and on time, scoring on each of their first two drives to take a 12-0 lead before the Minutemen woke up and scored 35 unanswered points to take a 42-20 decision.

Maranatha’s Caleb Devine scored the first of his three touchdowns with 2:13 remaining in the opening act and the comeback was on. A minute later Bassett went for it in on a fourth and three from its own 45 but a breakdown led to a 9-yard loss and a turnover on downs. On the first play of the second quarter Eli Snider scored on an 11-yard run to make it 14-12

Snider was good, going 18 of 28 for 185 yards and a touchdown. Xavius Boone caught nine passes, Dexter Myers caught three including a 25-yard touchdown pass from Sinder just before halftime.

“I’m really happy the way my guys responded after getting off to a slow start,” said new Maranatha HC Steve Bogan

***Fullback Jorge Blanco scored on a pair of 1-yard runs for Bassett in the first quarter
***Caleb Devine scored his second touchdown on a 4-yard run in the second and his third on a 20-yard run in the third quarter. He finished with 163 yards on 18 carries.
***Olympian running back (junior) Ricky Meija saw his first game action since 2012. He missed all of 2013 with an injury. Meija rushed for 81 yards on 20 carries and scored his team’s last touchdown on a 2-yard run.
***Minuteman Andrew Morales scored the games final touchdown, late in the fourth, on a 53-yard fumble return.
***Mid Valley Sports staffer Duane Barker predicted in Game Night: “Maranatha 42 Bassett 20”.
***Bassett started on its offensive line: LT: Arturo Vasquez, LG: Carlos Ramirez, C: Mario Zamora, RG: Daniel Cabrera, RT: Delane Rayburn.
***Maranatha started on its offensive line: LT: Joshua Johnson, LG: Marcus Moses, C: Jordan Yriarte, RG: Nick Castello, RT: Andrew Ojeda.
***Jesus Navarrete led Olympians in rushing with 107 yards on 11 carries.
***David Allen and Luke Johnson both intercepted passes for the Minutemen.
***Maranatha hosts Firebaugh next week, while Bassett goes home to play Calvary Chapel (Downey).

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