MidValleySports.Com

By Duane Barker

(Montebello, CA) The South Pasadena Tigers and the Schurr Spartans tangled Friday night in the season opener for both teams. It was a tale of two halves as neither team got on the board. The second half was a different story for the Spartans as they put up four unanswered touchdowns and got the win 28-0 at Ken Davis Field on the campus of Schurr High School.

The first half was two quarters of football that both teams would like to soon forget. There was not much movement from either side and when there was some of it was negated by penalties.

Schurr head coach David Ramos must have had a few choice words for his team as they came out with a different demeanor to start the second half.

Caesar Aguila fielded the kick off to start the second half and put a charge into his team returning the ball to the Tiger 28. Five plays later Elias Navarro punched it in from a yard out. The extra point was good and with 10:21 left to play in the third the Spartans led 7-0.

On the ensuing drive for South Pas, the Schurr defense forced a fumble from David Ortega and the Spartans were in business again at their own 12.

13-plays later Mateo Carrasco hauled in a short pass from Joe Alvarado and busted his way through the Tiger defense for a 22-yard score early in the fourth quarter. Alvarado finished the night connecting on 19 of 25 passes for 211 yards and the one score. Aguila was Alvarado’s favorite target. He grabbed 10 catches for 117-yards.

The score remained 14-0 until the Spartans completed a 4-play 33 yard drive with Navarro getting his second score on the night. Navarro led all ball carriers with 86-yards on the ground and the two touchdowns.The drive was set up by South Pas going for it on fourth and six at their own 33.

With 3:10 left to play the Tigers went for it again on fourth down deep in their own territory. This time Zachary Lee’s pass fell incomplete giving the Spartans the ball at the Tiger 29.

Four plays later Brian Velez got the call from a yard away and rammed his way to paydirt.

Next week South Pasadena will be at home to take on the Arcadia Apaches while Schurr will have a huge test traveling east to take on the La Serna Lancers.