Written by Noah Parker and Preston Sharkey
Staff Writers
South Pasadena varsity football suffered another league loss on Friday, falling to the Temple City Rams by a score of 40-7. The Tigers drop to 0-2 in Rio Hondo League play and 4-4 overall.
The Rams began the scoring with a lengthy downfield drive, capped off by a seven-yard rushing touchdown. Temple City also used a plethora of screen passes to get their playmakers into space.
South Pas marched back down the field the following drive, thanks in part to a long pitch and catch from junior quarterback Justin Huff and senior wideout Danny Rios. Huff’s long pass down the sideline was deflected by the cornerback before ending up in Rios’ arms for a large gain. The drive stalled at the 25 yard line of the Rams, however, and resulted in a turnover on downs.
The second half wasn’t any more forgiving to the Tigers, as the first play of the half resulted in a lengthy kick return for a touch down. On the following drive, Temple City scored on a 20 yard outside screen pass. The Rams extended their lead to 40 points after scoring multiple times in the fourth quarter.
South Pas finally got on the scoreboard late in the fourth quarter following a rushing touchdown from senior running back Jackson Totleben.
“We got to find ways to have fun, and have the team play for one another, and hopefully we’ll get wins,” Coach Jeff Chi said.
Injuries to the South Pas offensive line kept it offense quiet, as quarterback Justin Huff was constantly under pressure. Temple City finished with 6 sacks against an offensive line that only included one player with extensive offensive line experience.
Missed tackles in the flats hurt the Tigers all night, with Temple City receivers able to turn short passes into long gains. On the other side of the ball, the Rams were able to corral the Tiger receivers, limiting the offense to only one touchdown all game.
Field position also played a large role in the Temple City victory, as the Rams were consistently set up in Tiger territory following poor punts and good returns.
South Pas will hope to get their first league win next week against La Cañada at home on October 20th
Preston Sharkey
In his first year as a staff writer, sophomore Preston Sharkey is looking forward to writing for Tiger and sharpening his journalistic abilities. Having a strong passion for sports, Preston enjoys playing, reading, and writing about sports. When he is not in the gym or on the field, he is probably nervously watching Duke Basketball or re-watching The Office.
