MidValleySports.Com

Steven Cansino’s 48-yard field goal propels the Panthers past Gabrielino.

(San Gabriel) Steven Cansino booted a 48-yard field goal with 49 seconds left to play to lift the Rosemead Panthers to a 22-21 victory on the road Friday night at Gabrielino High School.

Tensions were high going into the game as vandals created a stir Thursday evening defacing areas of the Gabrielino campus. Cooler head prevailed as both coaches addressed the teams at midfield before the game began. Head coaches Harold Sanin and Marc Paramo exhorted the players not to fall trap to the social media buzz regarding the vandalism and keep their cool during the game. They refered to the recent happenings at Diamond Bar as an example of what not to do.

The teams listened well as both teams played hard and with complete abscence of personal fouls resulting from player conduct.

*** A 70-yard pass play from Elijah Peters to Rikiya Satoh set the Eagles up with first and goal at the Panther three. The Rosemead defense held and turned Gabrielino away on four plays.

*** Gabrielino did manage to draw first blood on a 30-yard pass from Peters to Joshua Villalobos. The score was set up on with Nick Carreon interception of Steven Nava at the Rosemead 40.

Patrick Lopez was one of the workhorses for Rosemead

*** With 8:55 left in the first half, the Panthers came back to tie the score on a 16-yard pass from Nava to Luis Luna.

*** Rosmead took the lead for the first time on the evening when Stephen Cansino booted a 22-yard field goal with 7:27 left to play in the third period.

*** Carreon’s second interception of Nava set the Eagles up for a go ahead touchdown snagging Nava’s pass at the Rosemead 45 and returning it to the Panther five. Peters found Jeremy Franco in the back of the endzone covering the five yards.

*** Gabrielino extended their lead to 11 when Tim Phun scooped up a Patrick Lopez fumble and raced 38-yards to paydirt.

*** The Panthers tried to cut the lead to eight but the 46-yard attempt by Cansino fell a couple yards short.

*** Johnathan Chavez set Rosemead up for another scoring opportunity when he picked off Peters at the Panther five. Lopez made up for his earlier miscue scoring on a four yard run.

*** Cansino brought Rosemead to within two with 5:22 left to play in the game on a 36-yard field goal. The score was set up on a muffed kick off recovery that was recovered by the Panther’s Marcus Gomez.

*** After forcing a punt, Rosemead went back to work from their own 20 with 3:03 left on the clock. A combination of Lopez and Alec Zavala grinding up yards set up Cansinos late heroics.

*** Lopez and Zavala combined for 252-yards on 43 carries.

*** When asked if he had any second thoughts about bringing Cansino on to try the 48-yard field goal, Paramo stated “no, no second thoughts. My guys were wondering why I called an timeout right before the attempt. I just wanted them to remember that win or lose, football is fun.”

*** Next week Gabrielino will finish the regular season on the road at El Monte, while Rosemead with travel east on Lower Azusa to take on Arroyo for the Mission Valley League title.