MidValleySports.Com

By Ron Vrooman

The visiting Alhambra Moors were closing in on a hard-fought victory over the Montebello Oilers Friday night, holding a 26-14 lead and controlling the ball with just over eight minutes to go in the game.

But that all came apart quickly, as Montebello rallied for two late touchdowns to upend Alhambra, 29-26. The sudden turn of events boosted the Oilers’ playoff hopes and dealt a serious blow to the Moors’ chances. 

Montebello, Schurr, and Bell Gardens are now tied atop the Almont League with identical 2-0 records, while Alhambra fell to 0-2 and into a tie for last place with San Gabriel and Mark Keppel. 

After increasing their margin to 26-14 on Bryan Leonard’s 43-yard touchdown pass to slot receiver Zack Chacon, the Moors elected to go for a two-point conversion with 10:40 left. However, running back Halen Tsang was stopped just short of the goal line, and Alhambra’s lead remained at 12 points. 

On the Oilers’ next possession, the Moors got the ball right back when strong safety Rudy Contreras intercepted a throw by Montebello quarterback Joe Curiel at the 50-yard line. Things went badly for Alhambra from there.

On 4th-and-2 at the Oilers’ 42, the Moors decided to go for the first down instead of punting. That move backfired immediately as running back Devin Martinez fumbled the handoff from Leonard and Montebello recovered at the 45. 

Two plays later, Curiel hit receiver Sebastian Rodriguez with a 50-yard bomb for a touchdown, and Guillermo Para kicked the extra point to cut Alhambra’s lead to 26-21 with 7:43 remaining. 

The Moors took possession at their own 29 following the ensuing kickoff, but they were forced to punt when Leonard threw three incomplete passes. The Oilers got the ball again at the Montebello 42 after Tristan Garcia’s kick was downed by the Moors. 

On 3rd-and-8 at the 44-yard line, Curiel overthrew receiver Francisco Mirelez, but the Moors were hit with a controversial pass interference penalty which gave the Oilers a first down at the Alhambra 41. 

Six consecutive running plays moved the ball to the Alhambra 2, where fullback Giovanni Solorzano ran it in for the go-ahead score. Curiel then threw to Mirelez for a two-point conversion that put the Oilers ahead, 29-26, with 2:55 left.

The Moors began their final possession at their own 35 and drove to the Montebello 26. On 3rd-and-8 at the 26, Leonard barely missed a diving Nero Navarro in the end zone. The Oilers clinched their come-from-behind win when they sacked Leonard for a nine-yard loss on fourth down.

Curiel completed 12 of 19 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Oilers to victory. 

Mirelez, whose fumble of an Alhambra punt set up the Moors’ first score late in the opening quarter, atoned nicely for that mistake the rest of the way. He caught eight passes for 140 yards and two TD’s, as well as the two-point conversion pass late in the game. In addition, Mirelez intercepted a throw by Leonard early in the third quarter, a play which led to his own score on a screen pass that covered 77 yards. 

Leonard connected on 20 of 34 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns in a losing cause. Navarro, a senior wide receiver for the Moors, made seven catches for 81 yards, and Marco Vasquez, a senior slot man, hauled in six throws for 80 yards.

Tsang rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown in 24 carries, and he also scored on a 12-yard pass from Leonard which enabled the Moors to take a 20-14 lead in the third quarter. 

Alhambra gained 326 yards from scrimmage, compared to 242 yards for Montebello, but the Moors came up short in the end. Penalties were a huge factor in the game, as the Moors were called 16 times for a total of 143 yards, while the Oilers were flagged only three times for 45 yards. 

Montebello improved its overall record to 3-4, and Alhambra dropped to 4-3 on the season.