Hernandez’ Heroics Lift Wildcats

Note to Monrovia opponents: Don’t kick to Carlos!

By Tim Peterson

You don't tug on superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask off that old lone ranger
And you don't mess around with Jim -Jim Croce   

(Monrovia) – Like the lyrics from the old Jim Croce song “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” tell us there are certain things you just don’t do. You don’t tug on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit into the win. You don’t pull the mask off the old lone ranger and with the game tied and 35 seconds left, you don’t kick the ball to Carlos Hernandez.

La Canada, after just tying the game at 35 with 35 seconds left in the fourth quarter, did exactly that. The Spartans, despite orders from the coaching staff not to do so, kicked the ball right to Hernandez at the five-yard line. Hernandez, fielded it, made several potential tacklers miss, and before you could say “always open” he was sprinting down the west sideline. 95 yards later he was dancing into the endzone and 16 seconds after that Monrovia was celebrating a 42-35 win over La Canada.

Jaylen Moore had 98 yards and 2 touchdowns receiving.

“A lot of it is misdirection. I watch the defenders hips,” Hernandez explained. “Once I’m able to get a read on that I’m able to get free. I was able to use my teammates blocks as well.”

“That’s why he’s going to Washington State,” said Monrovia head coach Chris Williams. “Carlos usually plays up on kickoffs but we purposely moved him back deep for this one.”

What La Canada had worked so hard to achieve, rallying back to tie Monrovia in the fourth quarter, was gone just like that. The Spartans, who were down 14-0 in the first quarter, took a 24-21 lead in the third quarter on a 13-yard run by quarterback Mackey Plocher.

The Wildcats grabbed it right back early in the fourth quarter when Brian Salazar hit Jaylen Moore on a 17-yard touchdown pass. It was Moore’s second TD catch of the night as he also caught an 11-yard strike from Salazar in the first quarter.

After a 23-yard field goal by Royce Xiao for La Canada cut the lead to 28-27, Monrovia struck quickly again when Noah Ellison took a swing pass from Salazar and turned it into a 62-yard score to make it 35-27 Wildcats with 4:02 left.

The Spartans took the hit but still weren’t out. They marched 80 yards on 10 plays, helped along by a Monrovia pass interference penalty, to tie it. Plocher scored on the five-yard run and then ran in the two-point conversion to knot it at 35 with 35 ticks remaining. Then Carlos happened.

Hernandez also caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Salazar for the first score of the game. A fumbled kickoff by La Canada led to Moore’s TD reception and a 14-0 Wildcat lead.

La Canada got back into it on a 24-yard pass from Plocher to Anthony Venneri and a four-yard touchdown run by Corey Cheung.

Davonte Jones returned a kickoff 65 yards for a Monrovia score in the second quarter. Xiao booted a 30-yard field goal as time ran out in the first half for La Canada to make it 21-17 Cats at the break.

The teams exchanged blows in the second half before Hernandez landed the late knockout punch.

Plocher’s final pass of the game as the clock ran out was picked off by Moore and returned out to the 40-yard line.

Salazar threw for 224 yards and four touchdowns for Monrovia. Moore (98 yards and 2 touchdowns) and Hernandez combined for 145 yards receiving.

Plocher had a big night for the Spartans as he threw for 260 yards and a touchdown and ran for 114 and two touchdowns. Cheung rushed for 61 yards and touchdown and had 55 yards receiving.

La Canada fell to 4-3 overall and 1-1 in the Rio Hondo League.

Monrovia improved to 5-2 on the year and is now 2-0 and in sole possession of first place in the Rio. Oh and they also have a guy named Carlos Hernandez. Yeah, he’s pretty good.

3 Comments to "Hernandez’ Heroics Lift Wildcats"

  1. WildCatt81's Gravatar WildCatt81
    October 8, 2022 - 4:29 pm | Permalink

    That game was the most exciting game since the St. Francis of 2012-13 season George Frazier.

  2. October 8, 2022 - 8:58 am | Permalink

    That Carlos Hernandez is an awesome football player…

  3. #7 Mom's Gravatar #7 Mom
    October 8, 2022 - 7:46 am | Permalink

    “Don’t kick the ball to Carlos Hernandez” love it. For being his Mom I’m literally speechless. What he does is unbelievable. He’s blessed, gifted, talented, humble….I can go on and on. I’m blessed to call him “my son”. Thank you Tim Peterson for this article. Is there a way I can have a hard copy of this?

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