By Saile Ramirez
(Alhambra)-Temple City’s inability to recognize play fakes in Alhambra’s single-wing led to a 20-14 loss Friday night at Moor Field.
The Moors persistent running game opened up play-action opportunities as quarterback Joshua Mendoza found receivers open in the flat against the aggressive Ram defense.
“Our game plan week in and week out is to take what they give,” explained Alhambra head coach Lou Torres. “They were playing tough inside, they did an excellent job so we went outside to our receivers, hit the flat a bit and that’s where Josh (Mendoza) did a great job of recognizing it.”
TC down six began its last drive from its own 20 line with 2:40 left in the game. Ram quarterback Mikel Quintanilla completed three straight passes moving his team down to the Moor 47-yard line.
Facing a fourth and three, Quintanilla found tight-end Tim Sanderson for 12-yard strike to keep the drive alive. Three plays later they found themselves in another fourth down situation. Quintanilla, unable to control the ball as he threw, lost possession and secured Alhambra’s tight victory.
A-Town’s first drive ended with a Mendoza pass connecting with senior James Martin for a 22-yard touchdown.
Temple City’s Joshua Simangunsong (for the remainder of story will be shortened to Siman) slashed through the Moor defense with a 50-yard run on the ensuing possession answering the previous scoring drive. Four plays later Siman tied the game with a 1-yard touchdown run. He carried the ball 20 times for 136-yards.
Alhambra used five different ball carriers to gain 46-yards on a 15-play drive to go up 14-7. Patrick Bruno scored from 3-yards out. TC came right back with a score of its own when Quintanilla used Sanderson’s height advantage and lobbed a ball up to him in the back of the end zone.
With the game tied, Ram coach Mike McFarland instructed his kickoff team to attempt an onside kick. The gamble paid off as Austin Busick recovered for the Rams.
Temple City now searched for the lead and a huge momentum swing before half. First and goal on A-Town’s 4-yard line, Quintanilla ran in for the score and what seemed to be the go-ahead touchdown. His efforts were thwarted however, when receiver Andrew Anda was called for a holding penalty and what was the start of their penalty woes.
Alhambra blocked a TC field goal attempt two plays later ending the half still in a deadlock.
Both teams were unable to get anything started on their first possessions of the second half.
Temple City was the first to get a drive moving, behind running back Siman, as they were able to get down to the Moor 23-yard line. Unfortunately for them, an illegal procedure penalty forced them back to the 30 and a long third down situation. The Rams turned the ball over on downs missing on another scoring opportunity.
Late in the third A-Town continued to use several ball carriers, including Bruno and Jacob Caraballo to march down to the TC 14-yard line. Caraballo scored the games final touchdown on a perfectly executed play-action pass from Mendoza.
“We’re a wing-t offense we could run a smash base, but they gave us the flat and gave us the pass so we took it, “ Torres reiterates the Moor’s game plan.
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