Story by Solana Singer
Staff Writer
Photo by Samantha Shiroishi
Photo Editor
South Pas football crushed the Maywood CES Wolfpack at home on Thursday, Aug. 24, boasting an overwhelming victory with a final score of 68-6.
The game started off strong for the Tigers as their offense pushed closer and closer toward the Wolfpack’s end zone. Early on, South Pasadena demonstrated their offensive excellence with a clean pass from junior quarterback Zachary Lee to junior tight end James Dowd. Two minutes into play, senior running back Jason Hong strolled into the Maywood end zone to score a one-yard rushing touchdown. Senior punter Sawyer Fox secured the point after the touchdown for a score of 7-0. With less than three minutes left in the quarter, Hong went in for a second touchdown, rushing 30 yards. Fox scored the extra point to double SPHS’s score. An expertly blocked punt by junior wide receiver Jordan Rogers wrapped up the first quarter.
Quarter two began; Hong quickly rushed another four-yard touchdown, his third of the night. Fox again made the extra point for a score of 21-0. Two minutes into the quarter, senior cornerback Luke Riffle stole the ball and rushed a 25-yard fumble return touchdown. Fox missed the extra point leaving the scoreboard at 27-0. After an immaculate throw from Hong to Fox, Hong gained nine yards to push his way through Maywood’s defense. With three minutes left, senior wide receiver Elijah Garcia just barely missed a pass from senior quarterback Liam Ohannesian in what would have been a graceful score. As the home crowd lamented the missed opportunity, senior running back Devin Robinson boosted morale with a seven-yard rushing touchdown as well as the extra point kicked by Fox for a score of 34-0.
Junior outside linebacker David Ortega made a key tackle to force a Maywood fumble. Senior cornerback Harrison Farley picked up the ball to score a fumble recovery touchdown of 35 yards. After Fox’s extra-point kick, the scoreboard read 41-0. With two minutes remaining, Maywood scored their first and only passing touchdown, slapping six points onto their score. Robinson swiftly intercepted Maywood’s fumbled extra-point kick.
The Wolfpack offense forced the Tiger defense further and further back into their end zone until Hong, in a standout play, got hold of the ball and ran it an impressive 85 yards across the field to score a rushing touchdown. Fox made the extra point and the quarter ended with a score of 48-6.
The start of the final half felt slow in comparison after an eventful second quarter. Seven minutes in, junior cornerback David Eisenberg dodged the Maywood offense in an elegant 64-yard punt return for a touchdown, adding six points to the SPHS score. 90 seconds later, senior outside linebacker Gio Cruz stole the ball from a fumble to rush a 40-yard touchdown for a score of 60-6. Fox made the point after both touchdowns. At the end of quarter three, South Pasadena boasted 62 points to Maywood’s 6.
The final quarter began with the Tigers harboring a comfortable 56-point lead. Three minutes in, Rogers broke away from the Maywood defense on a 16-yard run but tumbled before he could lead his team to another touchdown. South Pasadena approached the Maywood end zone; with seven minutes to go, junior long snapper Cameron Park stole the ball and rushed a touchdown, the Tigers’ 10th of the night. The teams ran the clock with the Wolfpack on offense until the quarter ended. As the marching band performed the alma mater, the Tigers waved their helmets in the air, the final tally of 68-6 glowing orange on the scoreboard across the field.
“I think it was a collective effort, you know. I think our offense did well, our defense did well, even our special teams did well,” Head Coach Jeff Chi said. “We just got to get ready for Baldwin Park next week, which is going to be one of the toughest games that we’re going to have preseason.”
SPHS will look to add to their 2-0 win streak in their next game with two obviously dominant performances under their belt.
“[This season] is going really well,” Hong said. “I mean, Schurr was probably one of the ranked teams that we expected to lose to, but we came out and beat them, and now [we’re] showing off like 60 plus points on this team.”
The Tigers will play the Baldwin Park Braves in an away game at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31.
