After a shaky start, the Spartans (2-2) are back to .500 after a closer-than-expected win over California. Credit the Condors (0-4) for not letting injuries play a distraction and battling Schurr until the end. Here’s the game recap.

WHITTIER – Visiting Schurr High School, riding four touchdown passes to victory, edged California 28-23 in a nonleague game Thursday.

The Spartans (2-2) scored the decisive touchdown in the final minute of the third quarter when Abraham Gonzalez caught a screen pass and broke four tackles en route to an 84-yard touchdown for a 28-16 lead.

Midway through the fourth quarter, a 32-yard punt return by California’s Ben Siepak preceded a 17-yard touchdown pass from Drew Castro to Maximo Gonzales to conclude the game’s scoring.

The teams traded touchdowns in the first quarter. On its first possession, Schurr drove 83 yards in six plays, with Aaron Cantu passing 24 yards to Alejandro Castro for the touchdown following passes of 16 yards to Chris Chiaromonte and 48 yards to Chris Jordan.

The winless Condors (0-4) responded with a seven-play, 57-yard drive culminated by Castro’s 24-yard run on a scramble. A key play in the drive was a 9-yard pass from Castro to Ben Siepak.

The Spartans took a 14-6 lead early in the second quarter when a 33-yard scoring pass from Cantu to Chiaromonte concluded a seven-play, 72-yard drive.

California came back again as running back Josh Perez contributed a 9-yard run and Anthony Ratliff added an 11-yard run before Castro threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Gonzales to tie the game at 14-14 with 7:23 left in the first half.

Schurr defensive back Brandon Chavez intercepted a pass late in the first quarter to begin a 74-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 15-yard pass from Cantu to Gonzalez.

Early in the third quarter, the Condors reduced Schurr’s lead to 21-16 when Jeremy Silva tackled the Schurr punter in the end zone after a high snap from center.