San Marino QB Carson Glazier is being congratulated by teammates for his six touchdown performance on Friday night. (Photo by Steven Mercado)
By Steven Mercado
The San Marino Titans needed no time to get acclimated to the new 2014 season. In taking the opener, 56-34, against the Arroyo Knights at home.
SM was lead by junior QB Carson Glazier, who completed 17 of his 24 passes for 394 yards and 6 touchdowns. This was his first varsity start under center and was accompanied by four new offensive linemen. Experienced or not, the Titans proved they have an offense to be reckoned with.
This offensive firepower was all without San Marino’s star senior utility player Tyler Spitzer, who caught a pass from Glazier for three yards on the Titans first drive of the game and was injured on that play. He did not return to the game and his current status is unknown.
Glazier led the Titans on a 53-yard scoring drive that he finished with a touchdown pass to senior WR Chip Crowley that opened scoring. The Knights answered with an 80-yard scoring drive capped off by a 4-yard touchdown run by senior RB Randy Amezcua.
San Marino’s next offensive play was another Glazier-to-Crowley connection — this time being a 67-yard bomb for a touchdown. Arroyo answered with another 80-yard scoring drive, which ended with senior QB Chaz Miller connecting with his favorite target, senior WR David Cotero, for a 53-yard strike.
This drive left the game tied 14-14. But after taking the lead with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Glazier to junior WR JP Shohfi, the Titans never trailed again and continued to pick apart the opposition with their offensive precision.
*** Arroyo’s top performer — senior RB Randy Amezcua; 24 carries for 183 yards and 3 touchdowns.
*** San Marino senior WR Chip Crowley led the Titan receivers with 5 catches for 153 yards and 4 touchdowns. Junior WR JP Shohfi also made some big catches, finishing with 9 receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown.
*** Arroyo senior WR David Cotero, who caught 11 touchdown passes, averaged four receptions and 58.2 receiving yards per game last year, caught 10 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns on Friday night.
*** The only turnover in the game was a fumble by Amezcua at the end of the first quarter. The ball was recovered by junior MLB Tino Mease, and the Titans scored on the following play.
*** Arroyo QB Chaz Miller finished 20-41 with 233 passing yards and 2 touchdowns. He also ran the ball 5 times for 43 yards.
*** Mr. Crowley’s four-touchdown performance brings him more than halfway to topping his total number of receptions from last season (7). His 155 receiving yards smashes the amount of receiving yards he averaged per game during the 2013 season. Crowley averaged 1.8 catches per game last year.
*** Arroyo head coach Steve Singiser: “Our pass defense was way too soft. We blew coverages and we didn’t make tackles. They executed great. I had to replace 16 kids offensively and defensively and it showed. They’re experienced … and they showed that … But we’ll get back at it.”
*** San Marino head coach Mike Hobbie on the team’s success despite being “inexperienced”: “I think they grew up a little bit tonight. This was great experience for them. I was kind of expecting them to get the job done — I don’t put a guy on the field I don’t expect to do well.”
*** San Marino’s starting offensive line: sophomore LT David Wang, senior LG Wyatt Gabig, junior C Max Abughazaleh, sophomore RG Matt Ary and senior RT Cole Mace
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