Saturday Rewind: Muir wins Tussle with PHS; South Pas beats La Canada, then voted out of playoffs; Maranatha improves to 10-0

Muir quarterback Chase Keough (3) celebrates as he rings the bell as they defeat Pasadena 24-17 during the 68th annual Turkey Tussle prep football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., Friday, Nov. 7, 2014. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/ Pasadena Star-News)

Muir quarterback Chase Keough (3) celebrates as he rings the bell as they defeat Pasadena 24-17 during the 68th annual Turkey Tussle prep football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., Friday, Nov. 7, 2014. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/ Pasadena Star-News)


What a night! First Muir continued its dominance in the Turkey Tussle with a 24-17 win over Pasadena, but the real news was that South Pasadena, after beating La Canada, was voted out of the playoffs by the Rio Hondo League for a possible rule violation. Not to be overshadowed, Maranatha scored a big win over Whittier Christian to finish 10-0 in the regular season.
Below is this week’s run down:
GAMES OF THE WEEK
MUIR 24, PASADENA 17

PASADENA — Sixteen and counting.
The Muir High School football team got all it could handle from rival Pasadena in the 68th Turkey Tussle, but in the end the Mustangs were back in their customary spot ringing the victory bell at one end of the Rose Bowl following a 24-17 win on Friday night.
Freshman running back Jonathan Stephens plowed into the end zone from 5 yards out to break a 17-17 tie with 1:37 to play. Muir’s defense then stopped Pasadena on downs to end the game.
“I just told my coaches that this is one of the greatest feelings in the world,” Stephens said. “To come out here and play on a field that not many people get the opportunity to play on and win a big game for the team, it just feels great.”

— Aram Tolegian
SOUTH PASADENA 21, LA CANADA 3
LA CANADA — The match up of South Pasadena High School and La Cañada in both schools’ final regular-season Rio Hondo League football game saw two teams whose seasons had run in parallel lines.
But Friday’s league finale that would determine third place saw the Tigers and the host Spartans part ways as South Pasadena came out on top 21-3, which in theory earned the Tigers the league’s final guaranteed ticket to the CIF-SS Central Division playoffs … until it didn’t.
The Tigers (7-4, 3-2) were forced to play the game without head coach Martin Konrad due to an unspecified administrative issue, but in spite of that, when the final whistle blew, it appeared they were going to the postseason for the first time since 2003.
However, soon after the game, La Cañada first-year coach Ramsey Lambert announced to his team that because of unspecified CIF issues, the league had voted to ban South Pasadena from the postseason, which meant that, despite the loss, it would be La Cañada advancing to the postseason.
“I’m not exactly sure what it was, but we get a second chance,” Lambert said. “I’m not sure who reported what, but the league made a decision and we’ll find out more details sometime over the weekend, I’m sure.”

— Nathan Cambridge
MARANATHA 69, WHITTIER CHRISTIAN 34
WHITTIER — For the first time in 31 years the Maranatha High School football team completed a perfect 10-0 regular season and will head into the CIF Southern Section Northwest Division.
The Minutemen easily defeated host Whittier Christian 69-34 at Whittier College to head into the playoffs next Friday as the top seed in the division.
Leading the way for the Minutemen was senior running back Caleb Devine with three touchdowns and 182 yards on 12 carries. He scored on runs of 65, 30 and 1 yard.
Whittier Christian freshman quarterback Quinn Commons threw for a game-high 227 yards on 31 attempts, completing 20 passes, while senior tight end Noah Evans caught nine passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

— John Sherrard
ROUNDUP
PASADENA POLY 56, FLINTRIDGE PREP 14

Pasadena Poly completed an undefeated season with a 56-14 victory over rival Flintridge Prep on Friday night at South Pasadena High.
The Panthers (10-0, 3-0) wasted no time, scoring 21 points in the first half. Running back Griffin Carter had three of his four touchdowns before halftime.

HOW THE TOP TEN FARED
1. St. Francis (10-0) def. Salesian, 46-15 (Thursday)
2. Monrovia (9-1) def. Blair, 55-0
3. Muir (6-4) def. Pasadena, 24-17
4. Maranatha (10-0) def. Whittier Christian, 69-34
5. San Marino (8-2) def. Temple City, 74-20
6. Pasadena Poly (10-0) def. Flintridge Prep, 56-14
7. La Canada (6-4) lost to South Pasadena, 21-3
8. Pasadena (4-6) lost to Muir, 24-17
9. South Pasadena (7-3) def. La Canada, 21-3
10. Rio Hondo Prep (4-5), idle
OTHER SCORES
El Monte 40, Gabrielino 23
Rosemead 52, Mountain View 14
Sierra Vista 41, Duarte 40
Montebello 28, Alhambra 21
Schurr 56, Keppel 0
Crescenta Valley 61, Arcadia 30
St. Genevieve 53, Bosco Tech 0
Cathedral 71, La Salle 28

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