By George Hernandez
(La Puente) – Dane Dunn’s two touchdowns and three interceptions by the defense led the Trailblazers to a 29-23 victory over Bishop Amat at Kiefer Memorial Stadium Friday night.
The Lancers got the ball first and quarterback Richie Munoz led them down field and capped it off with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Aiden Valdez to put them up 7-0 at 6:39 in the first.
Sierra Canyon turned the ball over on downs on its first possession after going for it on the Amat 35-yard line.
Bishop Amat couldn’t capitalize on the good field position and was forced to punt.
The Trailblazers got on the board with 2:46 left in the second when Dunn took it out the Wildcat for a score Lancers blacked the PAT keeping the score at 7-6.
On Amat’s next possession Xavier White picked a Munoz pass and took it to paydirt put Sierra Canyon up 12-7 after another PAT was blocked.
The Trailblazers forced a Lancers punt and two plays later Alonzo Esparza hit Eddie “Trey” Byrd with 32-seconds left for a 14-yard touchdown making it 19-7 at the half. Sierra Canyon had scored three times in just over two minutes.
Sierra Canyon got the ball first the second half and ate up eight minutes and thirteen seconds off the clock finishing with a 37-yard field goal putting the score at 22-7.
Lancers would answer quick when Rodney Sermons took the kickoff back 95-yards cutting it to a one score game 22-14.
Bishop Amat’s defense then went to work forcing a Trailblazers punt.
The Lancers kept the momentum on their side when Aiden Ramos got into the end zone from six yards but a missed two-point conversion had the score at 22-20 Trailblazers.
Sierra Canyon added on to its lead in just under a minute when Dunn broke a 43-yard run and finished it next play from the two-yard line. The PAT made it 29-20.
Bishop Amat again answered this time with a field goal from Isaac Ochoa and the score was now 29-23.
The Lancers would get two more possessions but both would end in interceptions one from Jae’on Young and another from Bryd to cap the game off.
Dunn finished with 163-yards on 24-carries and his two scores. Esparza would go 16 of 21 for 133-yards and a score for the Trailblazers.
Munoz went 12 of 23 for 188-yards, a touchdown but three interceptions. Ramos had 40-yards on 15-carries and a touchdown.
Bishop Amat finished at 9-4. Sierra Canyon (9-4) will go on to face Inglewood 13-0 next week in the CIF Finals.
Robledo kept writing that once Amat was regulated to their true rank as a D2 team the rings would be ordered every year. Uh er maybe D3 or D4 or…….
Good! Amat overrated. Tired of everyone on their nuts.
We have all been granted a period of quiet as Robledo absorbs this loss to his favorite team of all time, the Amat Lancers. May the spirit of Haggerty infuse Freddie with the strength to carry on.