By MVS Staff
(Alhambra) – Noah Rodriguez ran for a touchdown and threw for two more to lead Alhambra to a 35-21 victory over the visiting South Pasadena Tigers on Friday night.
Rodriguez’s five-yard TD scramble and his scoring passes to Vidhan Gurung and Kody Chuang enabled the Moors to go ahead, 21-7, before halftime.
Second-half touchdown runs by Henry Soto and Luke Herrador gave Alhambra the additional points it needed to hold off a fourth-quarter rally by the Tigers.
That rally was led by quarterback Samuel Luna-Long, who completed 20 of 28 passes on the night for 272 yards and all three of the Tigers’ touchdowns. His leading receiver was Ivan Estrada, who made nine catches for 131 yards and two scores.
Rodriguez, Alhambra’s sophomore QB, connected on 20 of 31 passes for a total of 211 yards. Wide receiver Vito Russell caught seven of his throws for 102 yards, and slot man Chuang hauled in four passes for 61 yards.
But, the Moors’ decision to keep the ball on the ground for most of the second half also turned out to be a key factor in their victory.
Alhambra ended up rushing for 165 yards and held South Pasadena to just 68 yards rushing. The Moors ran the ball 25 times and threw only seven passes after the halftime break, taking valuable time off the clock for the Tigers.
Alhambra’s running attack was led by senior back Jose Ortiz, who gained 76 yards in 17 carries.
Coach Eric Bergstrom’s team, which improved its record to 5-0, will open Almont League play at Schurr High School on October 4th. Previously unbeaten South Pasadena dropped to 3-1 on the season.
*Information provided by Ron Vrooman
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