MidValleySports.Com

North Torrance quarterback Jorge Hernandez (file photo)

By Mike Martin

(Glendora)- The North Torrance offense too much for Gladstone Friday night in an entertaining Mid-Valley Division quarterfinal game that the Saxons won over the Gladiators, 42-34.

North quarterback Jorge Hernandez fired three touchdown passes, two to Mike Jurado and a third Devante Jenkings to pace the Saxons.

Jurado would add a third touchdown with a 21-yard fumbled return.

The contest was marked by the Saxons ability to score fast, and the Gladiators long drives.

Hernandez opened things in the first with a 14-yard pass to Jurado. Six minutes later Kevin Amezquita led G-Stone back with a game tying 23-yard pass to Sebastian Kirchfeld.

Twenty-one seconds later Cody Cox went 64-yards to the house on a pitch and it 14-7 in favor of the Pioneer League champs.

Four minutes after this, with the game now in the second fram, Hernandez went to Jurado again and it was 21-7

The trademark of the Gladiators is a physical defense and five minutes later they collapsed the pocket on Hernandez for safety to make the score 21-9

Christian Guzman narrowed the score even more with a 37-yard field goal just before halftime.

Twenty seconds into the third quarter, Jurado scored his third touchdown on a 21-yard scoop and score and it was 28-12.

Gladstone answered back, eight minutes later, after a long clock consuming drive ended with Aaron’s Sanchez’s 2-yard run to paydirt. Amezquita trotted in for the deuce and it was one possession game at 28-20.

Just when it looked like things had been figured out, when it looked like G-Stone was ready to make a move, North Torrance answered back with a 34-yard scoring pass from Hernandez to Jenkings and the lead was back up to 35-20
With 7:51 to play in the fourth Amezquita, the Gladiators show stopper all season, wormed his way through the defense to score on a 2-yard run. He then added the extra-point to bring it back to a one score game at 35-28.

Two minutes later, North’s Cox shifted his way 47-yards through the defense to again increase his team’s lead to 42-28.

With 4:22 to play/live on the back of Amezquita again Gladstone snuck down field to step up a 16-yard rushing touchdown that would end the game, after a failed extra point, at 42-34.

The loss closes out the head coaching career of Gladstone HC Albert Sanchez who announced earlier this would be his last season.

For North Torrance HC Todd Croce and the Saxons they return home next week to face Bishop Diego in the Northwest Division semi-finals.