Whittier High School Cardinals quarterback Dylan Salcido runs the ball up against Schurr High School Spartans defenders in the first half during a matchup at Sandy Thorstenson Stadium in Whittier.
(Photo by Michael Ares)
WHITTIER 27, SCHURR 7
WHITTIER — Whittier High School, after losing its past two games, was hoping for a confidence builder Friday.
The Cardinals got a little more.
Dylan Salcido accounted for 139 yards and a touchdown and Alex Retana returned an interception 99 yards for another score to lead Whittier to a 27-7 victory over area No. 4 Schurr in a nonleague football game at California High School.
Issac Banos and Robert Sandoval also had rushing touchdowns for the area No. 9 Cardinals (3-2). Noah Rangel rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown for Schurr (3-2). Whittier won its third consecutive game in the series.
Whittier used two big plays for a 13-0 lead at halftime.
The first came in inside its own 5 when Schurr quarterback Miguel Aguero made a misread and was intercepted by Retana, who returned the miscue 99 yards for a 7-0 lead with 8:10 left in the first quarter.
The second came on special teams. The Cardinals caught Schurr napping with a fake-punt pass. Retana was again at the center of attention, taking the short snap and tossing to Mark Tolmachoff, who turned it into a 60-yard catch and run to the Schurr 4. Robert Sandoval took it in from there with a run up the middle for a 13-0 lead at 1:40 of the opening quarter. The conversion kick was blocked.
Schurr, which gained 265 yards, including 191 in the second half, didn’t go away quietly. The Spartans opened the third quarter with a 65-yard drive and cut it to 13-7 on a Rangel’ 20-yard run at 9:46.
Whittier countered with a Salcido 5-yard run to go up 20-7 at 3:48 of the third quarter before Banos clinched it with a 35-yard run for a 27-7 lead with 2:17 left in the fourth quarter.
Whittier’s Alex Retana: “It was a great win for Whittier. Homecoming, (beating Schurr) three times after we broke the streak a couple years back? It’s a good win. Whittier came out on top and it’s on to (league).”
— Stephen Ramirez
Norwalk host La Mirada in a Suburban League game in La Mirada CA. Friday, September 30, 2016. (Photo by Thomas R. Cordova, Press-Telegram/ Daily Breeze/SCNG)
LA MIRADA 62, NORWALK 0
LA MIRADA >> The La Mirada football team played a near flawless game of football on Friday night, shutting out Norwalk 62-0 in Suburban League play.
Entering Friday, Norwalk (4-2, 1-1) averaged over 240 yards on the ground per game. But the Lancers were held under 100 against a suffocating La Mirada defense.
Matadores running back Nick Hernandez scored the first of three touchdowns on the first play of the game, a 52-yard run on the first play of the game.
After a Matador interception on Norwalk’s third play of scrimmage, La Mirada quarterback Tristan Meyer threw a beautiful deep pass to tight end Andrew Anderson for another touchdown and a 14-0 lead less than 2 minutes into the game.
All-purpose stud Elijah Hicks returned a Lancer punt 96 yards for another touchdown, going untouched on his run to the end zone for a 21-0 lead.
La Mirada coach Mike Moschetti: “We have a really good front seven that is probably the strength of our team. Every week, our goal is to shut down the running game of whoever we are playing and the kids did a good job. They flew around and made plays. Everybody played tonight and it was a good win for La Mirada.”
— Julian Lopez
OTHER SCORES
Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary 49, St. Bernard 7
St. Margaret’s 70, Whittier Christian 49
Aliso Niguel 37, Sonora 13
HOW THE TOP TEN FARED
1. La Mirada (4-2) def. Norwalk 62-0
2. La Habra (2-3), idle
3. La Serna (2-3), idle
4. Schurr lost to No. 9 Whittier, 27-7
5. St. Paul (2-3), idle
6. Montebello (4-1), idle
7. Whittier Christian (4-2) lost to St. Margaret’s, 70-49
8. California (3-2) lost to San Dimas, 41-14
9. Whittier (3-2) def. No. 4 Schurr, 27-7
10. Santa Fe (2-3), idle
