MidValleySports.Com

Jermaine Thomas (7) and Mason Maddox (9) both had touchdown catches for St. Francis.

By Tim Peterson

(La Canada) – St. Francis and La Canada had not met on the football field since 1985. The Spartans were 4-0 coming in while the Golden Knights were 1-2. Despite the different won-loss records it was St. Francis that left no doubt as to who was the superior team Friday night in a 49-19 rout of La Canada at Friedman Field.

La Canada actually scored first on its opening possession but St. Francis reeled off the next 42 points to put it away. The Golden Knights led 35-7 at the half and then coasted the rest of the way to the victory.

St Francis spread the wealth as six different players scored touchdowns. Synncere Pitts II found the end zone twice.

The Golden Knights scored on five of their six first half possessions after La Canada went up 7-0.

The Spartans used only three plays to draw first blood. Joe Bell hit Barandon Mohaghegh on a 41-yard pass play down to the five-yard line. Bell then kept it and went five yards for the touchdown.

Then St. Francis hit the Spartans with a scoring barrage. Jernmaine Thomas caught a seven-yard touchdown pass from Vito Schiada to cap a 66-yard drive to tie it at seven.

After a La Canada punt, St. Francis went 48 yards with Pitts finishing it with a one-yard blast.

In the second quarter Pitts got his second touchdown of the night on a two-yard jaunt to finish a 55-yard drive to make it 21-7.

The Golden Knights then hit on a big play on the next series. Schiada connected with Delano Rock (cool name) who did the rest by sprinting 52 yards to glory and a 28-7 lead with 3:00 left in the second quarter.

Two minutes later Russell Muro picked off a Bell pass and returned it down to the La Canada 22-yard line. On the next play Schiado found a wide-open Mason Maddox for a 22-yard score with 52 seconds left in the first half. Just like that it was 35-7 and for intents and purposes it was a wrap.

St. Francis scored once in the third quarter and once in the fourth on a Matt Moore run and a Grant Walker pass reception from Schiada.

Bell scored on runs of two and five yards for La Canada in the second half to finish with three touchdowns on the night.

Maddox had a big night for St. Francis with six catches for 116 yards and a score. Rock had five receptions for 107 and a touchdown. Schiado threw for 285 yards and four touchdowns.

Bell ran for 57 yards and three touchdowns for La Canada.

“He’s a stud. Obviously he’s a great academic student. He dominates on the football field and he dominates in the classroom. That’s why he’s committed to go to Princeton,” St. Francis head coach Lance Mitchell said of Maddox. “I think he could go play anywhere. But what we’re able to do with him is hard for anybody to stop.”

The Golden Knights improved to 2-2 with the victory while La Canada suffered its first loss falling to 4-1.

“I was happy with the way we competed after falling behind but they had athletes that were bigger than us and faster than us,” said La Canada Dave Avramovich.

St. Francis will travel to Charter Oak next week while La Canada has a bye.