MidValleySports.Com

The Mission Valley League Champs

(Rosemead) – Arroyo stopped Rosemead on fourth down near midfield with 39  seconds left and held on to beat Rosemead 17-13 Friday night to wrap up the Mission Valley League title.

Arroyo’s Adrian Hernandez booted a 19 yard field goal with 1:49 left to give the Knights a four point lead. Rosemead then got the ball back and drove down to the 49 yard line. On the next play Steven Nava’s pass bounced off the receiver’s hands and fell to the turf to touch off a celebration on the Arroyo sideline. The Knights then ran out the clock.

With the victory Arroyo went 5-0 in league to claim the MVL crown and 9-1 overall. Rosemead took second at 4-1 and finished 8-2 on the year.

***Arroyo quarterback Nathan Coto completed 17 of 27 for 261 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw an interception.

***Arroyo struck first on a 44-yard TD strike from Coto to Nico Lozano in the first quarter.

***Michael Sahagun hauled in a five-yard pass from Nava in the second quarte to even things up at seven. Coto hit Jacob Robledo on an 58- yard touchdown pass in the corner of the endzone for a 14-7 lead with 4:08 left in the second quarter.

***The third quarter was scoreless except for a 38-yard Steven Cansino field goal for Rosemead to cut the lead to 14-10.

***Randy Amezcua carried the ball 16 times for 127 yards for Arroyo.

***Lozano finished with four catches for 120 yards and a touchdown to lead the Arroyo receiving corp.

***Cansino  also kicked a 34-yarder for the Panthers in the fourth quarter to slice the lead to one. Hernandez’ field goal then made it 17-13. Arroyo elected to kick the field goal instead of going for it on fourth down from the two yard line. “I knew the Rosemead kid had a leg and I didn’t want to risk him kicking a 40-yarder or something to win it in case we didn’t make it,” said Arroyo Coach Jim Singiser.

***Both teams turned the ball over two times – each with an interception and a fumble.

***Nava completed 24 passes for 173 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Alec Zavala was the workhorse on the ground for the Panthers with 29 carries for 154 yards.

***Both teams had won eight straight coming in after losing their openers. Now they wait until Sunday to see who their first round playoff opponents will be.