MidValleySports.Com

Andy Brown caught a pair of game changing touchdown passes for the Oilers

By Tim Peterson

(Montebello) – Montebello scored 36 points in the second half to overcome a 17 point deficit and beat Arroyo 36-27 Friday night.

Arroyo shut out Montebello in the first half while jumping out to a 17-0 lead but the game turned in the third quarter when Arroyo turned the ball over on fumbles on consecutive series and the Oilers took advantage with 14 points. Arroyo quarterback Humberto Pantoja took a shot and had to leave the game and Montebello seized the opportunity by forcing two fumbles and turning them into touchdowns.

After taking over on the 31, Andy Brown got free for a 31 yard touchdown pass from Ryan Rivera to cut the lead to 17-14. On the very next series, Arroyo backup quarterback Jason Villa was popped, and was separated from the ball. Montebello fell on it on the 30 and on the first play the Oilers went for it all. Rivera hit Eric Bruesch in the flat who in turn threw a strike to Brown who danced into the end zone. In matter of one minute the Oilers turned a 17-7 deficit into a 20-17 lead.

Arroyo tied at 20 on and then, after an Oiler turnover, Thien “Chuck” Luu scored on a 13 yard touchdown run for a 27-20 advantage.

Arroyo’s Humberto Pantoja ran for one and threw for one but it wasn’t enough

That was the last time the Knights scored as Isaac Mendibles and the Oiler took over in the fourth quarter.

*** Rivera scored the Oilers first touchdown on the first possession of the second half on a 28-yard run by Rivera.

*** Rivera ran for 51 yards and a score and threw for 235 and a touchdown. He also threw three picks.

*** Arroyo went up 10-0 in the first quarter on a 29-yard field goal by Jesse Ortiz and a 47-yard touchdown pass from Pantoja to Antonio Alcazar.

*** Pantoja’s nine -yard run in the second quarter gave the Knights the 17 point lead.

*** Brown caught three passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns.

*** Mendibles scored on touchdown runs of nine and one yards in the fourth quarter to give Montebello a 34-27 lead. The Oilers added a safety when Pantoja was called for intentional grounding in the end zone.

*** There were nine turnovers between both teams. Montebello had five.

*** Mendibles had just 61 yards on 17 carries and the two touchdowns.

*** Sergio Cortez hauled in eight passes for 85 yards for the Oilers.

*** “We needed to wake up. We came out flat and I just told them we needed to wake up. We finally got it together in the second half.” – Montebello HC Pete Gonzalez.

*** “We gave them the ball twice down there. You can’t expect to do that and win,” Arroyo HC Jim Singiser.

*** Montebello improved to 3-0 while Arroyo dropped to 1-2.