MidValleySports.Com

By Matt Schuler

(Duarte) – The La Puente High School football team lived up to its name and played like Warriors Friday Night.

Down 23-29 with time winding down, LP put together a 11-play 50 yard drive capped off when quarterback Jacob Tovar zipped a 5-yard pass to wide receiver Enrique Gonzales for the go ahead score and eventual game winner with 11 seconds to play, giving the Warriors 30-29 come- from- behind victory over the Duarte Falcons.

“They just keep fighting,” said La Puente head coach Scott Morrison. “We talked about playing to a standard, we don’t play to an opponent, we play to a standard and our guys continued to fight to play to that standard for four quarters.”

The game winning touchdown drive came after Duarte was attempting to seal the deal and extend their 29-24 lead to a two possession lead with a field goal. Instead the attempt was blocked by the Warrior defense and the ball was recovered with less than 2:39 to play on the 50 yard line. Tovar then led his offense down the field and the rest is history.

Duarte was in shock after controlling the game the entire night, including holding a 17-7 lead in the second and a 23-14 lead in the third quarter.

Jose Ochoa came up huge once again for the Warriors, hauling in two touchdown grabs from Tovar, including a 79- yard catch and run to close the gap 21-23. Erick Morales then picked off the ensuing drive’s first pass by Isaiah Scott, which led to a field goal to give LP their first lead before Duarte countered three plays later. This set up La Puente’s defense to provide some late game heroics.

***Falcons Defense gave up more points tonight (30) than the last three games combined (22)

*** Sam Edwards (Duarte) looked like Calvin Johnson on offense scoring a TD on the ground (19) and one TD through the air (44)

*** A Roughing the passer penalty negated a interception by Duarte’s Edwards, which would of sealed the win, but instead gave Tovar another chance.

***Two encroachment penalties by the Falcons made Henry Rodriguez’s field goal a chip shot, giving LP their first 24-23 lead of the night

***Rodriguez also saved a touchdown as the last line of defense on the kickoff team and made a crucial tackle preventing a sure score from Duarte’s speedy special teams.

*** LP now looks ahead towards a matchup with Montview League foe Azusa.

***Warriors are now 3-1 in league after their loss to Bassett last week.

***Falcons were coming off of two defensive shut outs.

*** Duarte takes on Sierra Vista next week.