Freddy Bysshe threw for 360 yards and three touchdowns to lead Arcadia.
By Tim Peterson
(Arcadia) – Freddy Bysshe hit Joshua DeLuca with a 23-yard touchdown pass with 14 seconds left to lift Arcadia to a 28-21 comeback victory over Arroyo Friday night at Salter Stadium
The touchdown capped a 99-yard drive that began after Arcadia stopped Arroyo on a fourth and goal at the one-yard line with 3:50 remaining. It appeared the Knights were set to go up by a touchdown but Arcadia made the big stop on fourth down and then marched to the win.
Arroyo was up 21-13 mid-way through the fourth quarter when Arcadia’s Aiden Reyes made the play that turned the game around. He stepped in front of an Oscar Lopez pass and raced 55 yards to pay dirt for a pick six. When Bysshe hit DeLuca for the two-point conversion it was suddenly tied at 21.
Arroyo then proceeded to march down to the Arcadia one before being thwarted.
Brayder Navarette ran for 123 yards and a touchdown for Arroyo but the Knights came up short.
Arroyo scored first when Zion Soberanez-Pena scored on a five-yard run. Bysshe was hit and fumbled on Arcadia’s first possession and Arroyo recovered at the Arcadia 32. The Knights took advantage of the short field.
On the Knights second possession Brayder Navarette broke off an 88-yard run but he was hit going into the end zone and fumbled out of the back of the end zone and Arcadia took over at the 20.
Arcadia tied it in the second quarter when a Bysshe pass was deflected off a helmet and fell into the hands of Jayden Bradley who sprinted 83 yards for a score.
Arroyo answered with an 11-play, 77-yard march. This time Navarette landed safely in the end zone with a five-yard run with 34 seconds left in the second quarter. The Knight took a 14-7 lead into halftime.
Arroyo punted on two possessions to start the third quarter. Arcadia’s Reyes, who plays offense too, hauled in a 37-yard touchdown pass from Bysshe. The extra point attempt was blocked leaving Arroyo up one at 14-13.
The Knights increased the lead to 21-13 when Lopez found a wide-open Noah Fonseca in the end zone and hit him on the numbers from 19 yards out.
Things looked good for the Knights faithful before Reyes’ pick turned things around.
Bysshe had a big night for Arcadia throwing for 360 yards and three touchdowns. Reyes had five catches for 98 yards and a score and Bradley hauled in three for 91. DeLuca had four receptions for 68 yards including the game winner.
For Arroyo Lopez threw for 206 yards and a touchdown but was hurt by the interception. Fonseca caught three passes for 81 yards and a score.
“We did a great job of driving down the field from the one-yard line. It’s a very complimentary offensive and defensive system that we have. said Arcadia head coach Eric Elias. “Winning does cure everything and winning does get an excitement around the atmosphere here in Arcadia.”
With the win Arcadia improved to 5-2 on the season. They will begin Crest League play October 15th against Hoover. Arroyo fell to 2-4.
ARR 7 7 0 7 21
ARC 0 7 6 15 28
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@Dobs/Tim
This was a really fun and contested high school game , with changes in momentum flying like meteors throughout the game .
Tim had the game pegged with a close Acadia win predicted – I didn’t think it would be so close .
Arroyo actually dominated the game through the first 50 minutes . I think Arcadia took them lightly and it was a sandwich game right between two league games with a bye as special sauce ; that being said , Arroyo took it to them !
I was very impressed with Knight QB Lopez …he has a strong arm and can
make.all the throws with aplomb : sideline throws , rolling left , deep ball . He sees the field well.
Arroyo had 5 plays minimally where if they just make a solid football play they win the game. The headliner on this list was the pick 6 thrown in 4 th quarter with Arroyo up by 8 , driving for clinching score and with all the momentum. It was a dangerous pass and not a winning play at that time ( Kudos to #11 Elias for Arcadia ) It was the biggest of the miscues that led to loss .
Here are the others : running for 70 yard touchdowns, RB gets stripped from behind at Arcadia 5 yard line , ball rolls out of bounds in end zone for touchback . Would have been 14-0 .
Arcadia’s first touchdown came on a batted ball that blooped directly to Arcadia receiver on a 7 yard stop route ; Arroyo defenders go to ball, take bad angles and a deflected 7 yard pass becomes a 70 yard touchdown.
They should have kicked the field goal to go ahead with three plus minutes left . He is good . The ball was at the three or so , not on the one yard line . The goal
Line stand shifted the momentum, just like in Rams game yesterday where Eagles eschewed FG and Rams seized momentum and got victory.
Arcadia first play : QB sacked and fumble in end zone Arroyo touchdown Oops . Referee call incomplete pass – nobody on the field or Arcadia stands thought it was a pass ! The reaction was we’ve been getting jobbed all night – we deserve one !
The confirmation of bad call came on next play when Arcadia broke 30 yard run and late flag comes at end of play for illegal block in classic make-up call progression. There were about 3 instances of this questionable call followed by make up reversal from this crew .
#10 made the plays needed to win the game , including trucking two Arroyo defenders when all they had to do was tackle him inbounds to get to overtime .
Arcadia knows how to win; at this point Arroyo knows how to lose -same thing happened at Glendale!
Arroyo will dominate their sorry league, but needs to eliminate critical
mistakes to find success if they end up anywhere but D14 .
Yeah, you are right again. Maybe I wanted Arroyo to beat Arcadia and Arroyo was doing everything right until that pick 6 it made me angry because that give Arcadia the momentum. Both teams were evenly matched, maybe they should’ve kicked a field goal on 4th down and they could’ve went up by 3pts with about 3 minutes left in the game. I know Arroyo didn’t give the game away, Arcadia made a number of big plays to win that game but Arcadia was playing catch up the whole game until the int
Say it like it happened. The pick 6 that Lopez threw cost them the game.
From T. Peterson: Actually, no it didn’t. That pick only tied the game. Arroyo had a fourth and goal at the one-yard line following the interception and didn’t score. Arcadia then drove 99 yards for the game winning touchdown as stated in the game story. Like I said it was a turning point in the game but didn’t cost them the game.
too busy making tiktok videos instead learning how to finish a game. Program has really fallen off.