Thursday Final: Montebello gets offensive, routs Azusa, 41-13

Montebello's Gabriel Tapia accounted for 204 yards and three touchdowns in leading the Oilers to a 41-13 win over Azusa on Thursday.  (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Montebello’s Gabriel Tapia accounted for 204 yards and three touchdowns in leading the Oilers to a 41-13 win over Azusa on Thursday.
(Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)


MONTEBELLO 41, AZUSA 13

GLENDORA — Montebello High School has been led by its defense early in the football season. But it’s offense isn’t bad either.
The Oilers showed it Thursday.
Quarterback Gabriel Tapia accounted for 204 yards and three touchdowns and running back Michael Vital rushed for 70 yards and two scores to lead Montebello to a 41-13 victory over Azusa in a nonleague game at Citrus College.
Kris Rodriguez also had a rushing touchdown for the Oilers, who improved to 3-1. Gabriel Whitworth accounted for 152 yards and two touchdowns for the Aztecs, who slipped to 1-2.
Montebello took control in the third quarter, scoring twice for a 27-13 lead.
The Oilers, after a muffed punt set up an Azusa score to tie it at 13, countered with a 79-yard drive for the lead. Vital had a 42-yard run to the Azusa’ 19 before Tapia took it in from the 3 for a 20-13 lead at 4:42 of the quarter.
The Oilers then converted an Azusa fumble into a two-touchdown lead. Rodriguez ran 14 yards to the Aztecs’ 23 before Vital made it 27-13 with a two-yarder with 54 seconds left in the quarter.
Rodriguez followed a bad center snap by Azusa with a four-yard run for a 34-13 lead with 10:05 left in the fourth.
Tapia made it 41-13 with a 35-yard run at 3:52.
Montebello coach Pete Gonzalez: “It’s kind of our plan, to wear teams down. We weren’t really executing well in the first half. (Azusa) played really well. We knew they would come after us and they did. It put us in some tough spots, but we stuck to our plan, and things got better for us in the second half.”
— Stephen Ramirez
Other Scores
Yorba Linda 41, Sonora 7
Alhambra 28, L.A. Wilson 13

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