By Ron Vrooman
(Bell Gardens) – The Bell Gardens Lancers had their offense in high gear from the very start, and they never looked back as they buried the visiting Alhambra Moors, 46-0, in their Almont League opener Friday night.
Junior quarterback Michael Mendoza completed 12 of 14 passes for 213 yards and four touchdowns for Bell Gardens. Receiver Devyn Duarte caught five of his throws for 102 yards and three scores, the first of which came on an 80-yard catch-and-run in the opening quarter.
Receiver Sean Allen hauled in three passes for a total of 73 yards, including a screen from Mendoza which he took 50 yards to give the Lancers a 7-0 lead on their first possession.
The Lancers’ ground attack was just as explosive, as junior tailback Jesse Medina raced for 289 yards and three TD’s in 17 carries. Medina’s final scoring run early in the third quarter measured 62 yards, and he also had runs of 55 and 34 yards on the night.
The Moors’ defensive unit, which had shown the most promise in a dismal first half of the season for Alhambra, got absolutely shredded by Bell Gardens, which piled up 504 yards in total offense. The Lancers led, 20-0, after one quarter and proceeded to build a 33-0 halftime advantage.
Alhambra quarterback Bryan Leonard completed just 11 of 32 passes for 100 yards, with two interceptions, and the Moors rushed for only 27 yards against the Lancers.
Bell Gardens improved its overall record to 4-1, while Alhambra fell to 1-5.
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@ Low Profile: Thanks. One of the main problems with our offense has been our inability to mount a credible running attack; we have yet to rush for 100 yards in a game this season.
The lack of a ground game puts a lot more pressure on the quarterback to produce, and it also means that our defense ends up being on the field for too long. I’m still hoping for a breakout game from Bryan, which I believe would do wonders for his confidence. Running the ball well as a team would be very helpful toward that end.
Good luck to the Moors , Ron! I believe you need improved quarterback play and production in those two must win games . I think you have a shot vs SG , but I’m skeptical about your ability to move ball and score vs Montebello. Don’t stop believing .
@ Anonymous: Any time; it’s my pleasure to cover these games for everyone who follows high school football locally.
If things go according to form, Bell Gardens and Schurr will be playing for the league title. (That’s been a fairly frequent scenario over the years!) I think the upcoming game should be a good one.
Alhambra has gotten off to an exceptionally ugly start for the second straight season, but the Moors still have a path to the playoffs. We have must-win (and in my view, winnable) games at home against Montebello and San Gabriel, and we’ll finish our league schedule at Keppel.
I believe that the Alhambra team has the capacity to improve, and now is the time for our guys to prove it. I refuse to believe that this is going to be another 1-9 season (or 2-8 with a forfeit win).
The boys are putting in work and staying focused! Let’s go BG!!!
THANKS FOR THE RIGHT UP MR VROOMAN
Congrats coach Ramirez and staff you have the boys focused. On the San Gabriel and get the job done