MidValleySports.Com

South Hills quarterback Adam Goss threw for two and ran for one

(Covina) – South Hills opened up a 30-0 lead late in the third quarter and then held on to beat Monrovia 30-27 Thursday night at Covina District Field. The Huskies took advantage of five Wildcat turnovers.

After a South Hills punt sailed into the endzone, Monrovia got the ball at its own 20 yard line with 2:23 left in the game with a chance to either tie or pull out a victory. But a penalty pushed them back to the 15, and Blake Heyworth’s fourth down pass to Anthony Craft fell a yard short as D’angleo Ross made the game ending stop for South Hills at the 29. The Huskies then ran out the clock.

Monrovia turned the ball over on four of its five possessions and on its first series of the second half to put them in a hole. Heyworth threw two interceptions and the Cats uncharacteristically coughed it up three times.

Adam Goss completed 13 play 75 yard drive in the first quarter with a 21 yard pass to Aaron Parham for a 6-0 lead. A short punt set up the Huskies at the Monrovia 38 in the second quarter and Goss used his legs this time to get it done as he rumbled 26 yards for a score.

Monrovia let a huge opportunity slip away late in the second when Heyworth was sacked and the ball popped loose at the South Hills 27.

The Huskies turned it into three points when a drive resulted in a 20 yard field goal by Tristian Gonzalez with no time remaining on the clock for a 16-0 halftime lead.

Jacob Farias picked off Heyworth on Monrovia’s first possession in the third quarter and the Huskies followed up by piecing together a 65 yard touchdown drive. Steven Mendoza took a swing pass from Goss and scored from 16 yards out.

Later in the third, Lawon Carney rushed up the middle for a 15 yard touchdown run and with 2:09 left in the third quarter, it was South Hills 30 Monrovia 0. Game, set, match, right?

Not quite. The Cats needed  a big play and immediately got it on the ensuing kick off. Craft broke through the Huskies kick coverage and scooted 95 yards for a touchdown and the Wildcats were finally on the board.

The defense did its part and Monrovia got the ball back. After a long punt return, Heyworth finished a short 40 yard march with a one yard keeper to cut it to 30-13.

South Hills went three and out, and the Cats scored again. This time they went 67 yards including a 19 yard pass from Heyworth to Craft that highlighted the possession. George Frazier, who does everything on the field except work the chains, caught a three yard touchdown pass from the tight end position and it was suddenly 30-20.

South Hills punted again and yes, of course, Monrovia scored again. Mason Bryant reeled in a 37 yard strike from Heyworth in the far corner of the end zone and then booted the ball through the uprights and a 30 point bulge was now a three point scare at 30-27.

Monrovia held again before they eventually came up a yard short and the Huskies survived.

Goss rushed for 99 yards and a score while throwing for two touchdowns for South Hills. Farias had the interception on defense and rushed for 73 yards and caught four passes for 48 yards.

Bryant caught nine passes for 120 yards and a touchdown and Heyworth threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns for M-Town.

“We had missed tackles and we didn’t have enough  guys hustling to the ball carrier after the misses,” said Monrovia Coach Ryan Maddox. “That and the turnovers, and the dropped balls. We have to fix that.”

Monrovia fell to 2-2 with the loss.

South Hills is now 3-1 under first year coach Albert Rodriguez.

“Our defense got a stop when they had all the momentum in the world, man. We almost blew it but we didn’t,” Rodriguez said. “That’s a heckuva a football team over there. That kickoff return got them going and it kind of snowballed from there. It was a great game, just a great game.”

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