MidValleySports.Com

By Ron Vrooman

(Montebello) – Although they were statistically outperformed, the Montebello Oilers benefited from a key penalty against Alhambra and made three big plays in the third quarter to defeat the visiting Moors, 16-6, Friday night.

The victory made the Oilers co-champions of the Alliance League along with the San Gabriel Matadors, who scored a 28-14 win at South El Monte. Montebello, which finished 2-1 in league and improved to 4-6 overall, advances to a Division 13 playoff game at Del Sol, while San Gabriel (2-1, 5-4) will host Mountain View in the first round of the Division 14 playoffs.

The Oilers’ victory also eliminated Alhambra from playoff contention; the Moors ended the 2026 season with a league record of 1-2 and an overall mark of 5-5.

Alhambra lost under bizarre circumstances for the second straight week. For starters, the Moors came up short again despite outgaining the Oilers, 243 total yards to only 71, and earning 13 first downs compared to the Oilers’ three.

In addition, a penalty cost the Moors a defensive touchdown that would have broken a scoreless tie shortly before halftime. On 2nd-and-10 from the Oilers’ 37, Montebello quarterback Joe Curiel came under heavy pressure and lofted a pass that was intercepted by Alhambra linebacker Derek Aston, who made a 32-yard return for an apparent score.

However, the Moors were penalized 15 yards for roughing the passer, and Montebello was given possession at the Alhambra 48. The Oilers were unable to move the ball in their last three offensive plays before halftime, and the score remained 0-0 at the intermission.

The first half was an exercise in futility for both offenses, which spent much of the time exchanging punts.

The closest the Oilers came to scoring was midway through the second quarter, when Jacob Bautista missed a 35-yard field-goal attempt. The Moors then took over at their own 20-yard line, but their only significant drive of the half ended with a turnover on downs at the Montebello 37. 

Montebello finally broke through after forcing Alhambra to punt from its own 17 early in the third quarter.

Nathan Rabadan’s 20-yard kick was fielded by the Oilers’ Jared Gomez, who returned it 35 yards to the Alhambra 2. Three plays later, fullback Giovanni Solorzano scored on a one-yard plunge, and Ethan Gomez followed with a run for a two-point conversion to give Montebello an 8-0 lead with 7:01 to go in the quarter. 

The Moors later got the ball at their own 44 after a Montebello punt, but they lost possession at the Oilers’ 23 when quarterback Josh Calderon threw incomplete on 4th-and-8.

The Oilers struck quickly for their second touchdown. Solorzano ran for 30 yards and then gained another 41 yards on consecutive carries to give Montebello a 1st-and-goal at the Moors’ one-yard line. Running back Miko Acosta scored on the next play, and Ethan Gomez rushed for another two-point conversion to put Montebello ahead, 16-0, with 17 seconds remaining in the third quarter. 

Alhambra got its only score with 5:37 left in the game, when Calderon threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to senior slot receiver Zack Chacon. The Moors still trailed, 16-6, after their two-point try failed, but they weren’t quite done for.

The Oilers failed to move the ball after the Alhambra kickoff, and they were forced to punt from their own 27. Chacon returned the kick 50 yards to the Oilers’ 13, and the Moors were in excellent position to score again.

However, Alhambra ended up facing a 4th-and-6 situation at the Montebello 9. The Moors decided to go for a field goal, hoping that a successful try would cut the Oilers’ lead to seven points and allow time for a potential touchdown drive following an onside kick.

Unfortunately for Alhambra, Alex Zuniga’s 27-yard attempt was blocked, and the Oilers took over at their own 18 with 3:22 to go. The Moors got possession again after a Montebello punt, but they were unable to get past midfield before turning the ball over on downs with almost no time left.

The Oilers won largely because of Solorzano, who accounted for nearly all of their offense with 12 carries for 88 yards and one touchdown. Curiel connected on only four of 16 passes for a total of seven yards.

Calderon provided the bulk of Alhambra’s offense, completing 14 of 30 passes for 192 yards. Chacon caught six of those throws for 120 yards in his final game for the Moors.