By Tim Peterson
(Monrovia) – I went to a high school football game and an Arena Football game broke out. There were 119 points, 17 touchdowns, 685 total yards, just four punts, two turnovers and three lead changes. And in the end when the dust settled and the smoke cleared Northwood emerged with a 63-56 win Friday night in a CIF Division 8 first round playoff game at Monrovia.
Monrovia quarterback Brian Salazar’s pass was batted in the air and Danail Kamiel came down with it before it hit the ground for the interception with 49 seconds left to secure the victory for Northwood. The Wildcats had drove down to the Northwood 38 before the interception.
Monrovia was down 56-48 when Marcel Jones scored on a 10-yard touchdown run, his fifth TD of the night, and Salazer hit Jacob Calnon in the endzone for the two-point conversion with 2:32 left to tie it at 56.
20 seconds later Northwood united it when Andrew Penrod caught a quick out pass from Eugene Miyata, broke a tackle and raced down the sidelines 72 yards for a score to make it 63-56 with 2:12 left.
The Timberwolves then came up with a stop to finish it.
The Wildcats were also down 42-28 at the half but scored two quick touchdowns to open the third quarter. Carlos Hernandez, who had a huge night with three touchdowns overall, scored on a 69-yard pass from Salazar. On the next possession the Cats took advantage of a Northwood fumble, and Jones cashed in with a 13-yard TD romp to even it at 42.
Things went back and forth the rest of the way. Penrod scored twice for Northwood and had three touchdowns on the night and Adam Harper, who was a workhorse for Northwood, also scored on a 9-yard run.
Northwood led 21-14 after the first quarter as Harper caught a touchdown pass and also had a touchdown run. Ahmad Kazi also hauled in a 37-yard scoring toss from Miyata.
Monrovia scored first on a 25-yard jaunt and later in the quarter Hernandez got loose for a 37-yard catch and carry of a Salazer pass.
Hernandez tied it at 21 on a 66-yard pass from Salazar but Northwood countered with two touchdown strikes from Miyata to Kazi and a TD grab by Penrod. The Timberwolves took the 14 point lead into the break which may have seem safe at the time but Monrovia stormed back and the two teams exchanged haymakers until the clock ran out.
For Monrovia Hernandez had 8 catches for 236 yards and 3 touchdowns and Salazar threw for 439 yards and three scores on 18 of 29 completions and the one painful interception. Jones rushed for 170 yards and 5 scores on 19 carries.
Harper ran for 195 yards on 32 totes for Northwood. Miyata was 17 of 26 for 280 yards and 6 touchdowns and Kazi grabbed 5 passes for 94 yards and a pair of scores.
With the loss Monrovia, the Rio Hondo League champion, finished 8-3 overall. Northwood improved to 10-1 overall and advanced to the second round of the CIF playoffs.
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