By Ron Vrooman
(South Pasadena) – Senior running back Jason Hong carried the ball 21 times for 117 yards and four touchdowns to lead the South Pasadena Tigers to a 46-7 win over the visiting Alhambra Moors last Friday night.
The Tigers finished non-league play with a perfect record of 5-0, while the Moors fell to 0-5 for the season.
On the first play from scrimmage, Elijah Garcia ran 50 yards for a touchdown on a reverse, and the Tigers were in high gear from there. South Pasadena added Hong’s four scoring runs and a 44-yard TD pass from Zachary Lee to Sawyer Fox on a 4th-and-16 play to build a 40-0 halftime lead.
The Moors’ defense stopped South Pasadena only once, when the Tigers turned the ball over on downs at the Alhambra 25 in the third quarter. The Tigers amassed 397 yards in total offense, including 227 yards rushing.
In the meantime, the Moors managed only 135 total yards; 80 of those yards came on Alhambra’s final possession, which ended with a 13-yard scoring run by sophomore Matthew Gandarilla.
The Moors’ leading ballcarrier was senior Julian Venegas Khavari, who rushed 13 times for 66 yards. Alhambra quarterback Bryan Leonard, who was again cursed by dropped passes, completed only five of 17 for 31 yards, with one interception that set up a South Pasadena touchdown late in the first quarter.
Lee, a junior, and senior backup Liam Ohannesian combined to complete 13 of 16 passes for 170 yards in a show of efficiency for the Tigers’ passing attack. Fox, who is also South Pasadena’s placekicker, made a total of five catches for 83 yards.
The Tigers will play their Rio Hondo League opener at home against the San Marino Titans on Friday, Sept. 29, while Alhambra will begin Almont League play against Bell Gardens at Moor Field on Thursday the 28th.
Lol keep dreaming
Alhambra just getting ready for its annual play off run. Look out Firebaugh and La Puente here we come.