MidValleySports.Com

By Ron Vrooman

(Alhambra) – The Alhambra Moors overcame a first-half struggle, scoring 17 points after the intermission to defeat the visiting Bassett Olympians, 25-0, in their first-round Division 14 playoff game last Friday night.

Tailback Halen Tsang rushed 22 times for a season-high 161 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Moors. Nero Navarro was another key factor in the victory; he returned four punts for a total of 132 yards, and three of his returns led to scores by Alhambra.

The Moors’ defense also came through with a stellar performance, holding the Olympians to only 50 yards from scrimmage in the opening half and to just 128 yards for the game.

It took Alhambra nearly the entire first half to put any points on the scoreboard. 

The Moors fumbled the ball away twice, first at the Bassett 27 and later at the 15. They also turned the ball over on downs at the beginning of the second quarter, after an illegal procedure penalty nullified a pass play that would’ve given them a first-and-goal.

However, Alhambra capitalized on a couple of breaks late in the second quarter. 

The Olympians punted on 4th-and-17 at their own 14-yard line; Navarro fielded the ball and returned it 30 yards to give the Moors possession at the Bassett 10. 

Three plays later, quarterback Bryan Leonard scored on a one-yard plunge to put Alhambra ahead, 6-0, with 2:12 left before halftime. A bad snap nearly caused the Moors’ extra-point attempt to go awry, but holder Edwin Gomez rolled out to his right and passed to end Marco Vasquez for a two-point conversion and an 8-0 lead.

Still trailing, 8-0, the Olympians received the second-half kickoff but promptly stalled at their own 26. The Bassett coaching staff then made a decision that would shift all the momentum in Alhambra’s favor.

Having gone no farther than midfield up to that point, the Olympians tried to force the issue by going for a first down on 4th-and-2. Running back Brandon Figueroa was then thrown for a one-yard loss by a host of Moors, and Alhambra took over at the 25.

On first down, a 14-yard pass from Leonard to Navarro – plus a penalty on the Olympians – put the ball at the five-yard line. Tsang’s touchdown run on the next play, and Tristan Garcia’s PAT, gave the Moors a 15-0 lead at the 9:28 mark in the third quarter.

A long punt return by Navarro later in the quarter was partly nullified by a penalty on Alhambra, but the Moors still started with good field position at the Bassett 48. Tsang’s 19-yard scoring burst capped an eight-play drive which put them ahead, 22-0, with just under four minutes remaining in the third.

Then, near the end of the quarter, Navarro took a punt 57 yards to the Bassett 19. The Moors were unable to move the ball from there, but junior kicker Josh Nieto drilled a 36-yard field goal on the first play of the final quarter to give them a 25-0 lead. 

 Alhambra’s defense held off two late drives by the Olympians, and the Moors (6-5) emerged with their second consecutive shutout victory. Bassett ended the 2025 season with an overall record of 6-4-1.

The Moors will go on the road this Friday for a quarterfinal game against the Anaheim Colonists, who are also 6-5 after a first-round win over Webb High School of Claremont.