By Duane Barker
(Rosemead, CA)
The La Canada Spartans ruined the start of the Arlin Slayton era of the Rosemead Panther football program with a resounding 56-26 victory Friday night at Marinelli Stadium on the campus of Rosemead High School.
The seats were barely warm on a mild Friday evening when the Spartans found paydirt. Macky Plocher found Anthony Venneri deep over the middle and he was off to the races for the score. Royce Xiao added the extra point for the early 7-0 lead,
It wasn’t long before La Canada extended their lead to 14-0 when Corey Cheung got his first of four scored on a 7-yard run. The drive was set up by Lorenz Bayug who picked off Panther QB Gio Ruiz on Rosemead’s second offensive play of the 2022 season.
With 7:07 left to play in the opening frame, Bayug helped to extend the lead to 21-0 when he picked off his second pass of Ruiz and this time returned it to the endzone from 58-yards away.
Rosemead cut the lead to 21-6 with 4:36 left in quarter number one. A 25-yard pass from Ruiz to Ivan Godina capped a seven play, 80-yard drive. Godinez went high in the endzone to haul the pass in over the Spartan defender.
La Canada scored there more times before Rosemead would put points on the board again. Two more touchdown runs by Cheung and a fumble recovery by Cayden Klein that he returned 69-yards for the touchdown.
The Panthers next score came on a one yard run by Nico Banuelos capping a 10-play 42-yard drive. Banuelos got in on the two-point conversion when he hit David Estrada on a 2-yard pass.
The Spartans responded to the score with one of their own. Venneri fielded the ensuing kickoff at his own seven and returned in 93-yards to glory. Xiao got more work in on the night adding yet another extra point.
Down four scores coming back on the field after the half, Rosemead went 65-yards on three plays with Ruiz finding Noah Sanchez who did the rest on a 53-yard catch and carry.
With time winding down in the third, the Spartans got their final score on the night covering71-yards on 11 plays and Cheung getting his fourth on a 7-yard run.
Rosemead did get one more score when Ruiz found Javier Suarez over the middle for 32-yards and the score. It was Suarez’s 11th catch on the night.
La Canada will be back on the road Thursday to take on an improved Norwalk team while Rosemead will work on a few things in preparation to go on the road to San Marino.
Less Rebel kids than in the past.
21-0 after 5 minutes.
42-6 soon after
Running clock 4th quarter
Offense , defense , specials all score for Spartan
What has become of Rosemead football ??