Story by Benjamin Regan
Print Managing Editor
Photos by Emiko Essmiller
Photography Editor
The South Pasadena Tigers overwhelmed the Alhambra Moors on both sides of the ball on Friday, Sept. 20, winning comfortably 35-12. Led by a duo of running backs, the Tigers leaned on their backfield to wear down the Moors, while South Pasadena’s defense was suffocating. South Pasadena improved to 3-2, while Alhambra dropped to 1-4. It was a complete effort and an impressive tune-up in the Tigers’ last non-league game, and, after a bye this week, South Pasadena will host Polytechnic to begin league play.
On their opening drive, the Tigers fed the ball to junior running back Trey Freking and senior running back David Ortega, marching the ball into Alhambra territory. After Freking and Ortega alternated runs, South Pasadena was set up for play action, and sophomore quarterback Andrew Nott connected with senior tight end James Dowd for a gain. Freking continued breaking tackles and barrelled into the end zone for a touchdown. The first points of the game belonged to South Pasadena, 7-0.
The Tigers’ secondary kept tight coverage on Alhambra’s receivers, and the Moors went three-and-out on their first drive.
South Pasadena kept moving the ball at will, gaining yards both on the ground and through the air. Nott, composed under pressure, completed a pass in tight coverage to Dowd, seemingly his favorite target. Then, Ortega knifed through the defense to put the Tigers in the red zone. Freking finished the job, scoring his second rushing touchdown of the game and extending South Pasadena’s lead to 14-0 with seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Senior cornerback Jack Miller came up with a key tackle when Alhambra got the ball back, and Dowd, who made an impact on both sides of the ball, sacked the Moor quarterback. Alhambra’s drive was shut down before it even started, and South Pasadena continued their fast start by forcing a punt.
The Tigers’ offense kept their foot on the pedal. After sophomore wide receiver Toshio Matsuoka returned the punt, Head Coach Jeff Chi took full advantage of his dynamic backfield, establishing a run-first offense with Freking and Ortega. They combined for 230 rushing yards on the night. On this drive, Ortega got into the end zone, adding to the Tigers’ lead. South Pasadena started the game with three straight touchdown drives, and sophomore kicker Lorcan Swift nailed all three extra points.
Up 21-0 midway through the second quarter, the Tigers took over on defense. Sophomore linebacker Rick Matsuda nearly intercepted an errant Alhambra pass, and the Moors offensive struggles continued. Alhambra could not get anything going and punted the ball away.
Swift caught a pass on the Tigers’ next possession, but a sack of senior quarterback Zachary Lee stalled the drive. South Pasadena punted for the first time in the game.
The Tigers’ offense had been flying around the field all night, but this time it was the defense’s turn to make plays. Senior linebacker Jordan Rodgers timed it perfectly, jumping the route, intercepting the pass, and returning it 30 yards for a pick-six. Rodgers put South Pasadena in front 28-0.
Alhambra got the ball back after the pick-six and scored their first points of the game right before the half. The Moors got a huge punt return to the Tigers’ 12-yard line, and it would have been a touchdown if not for a timely tackle by senior cornerback John Bruce. A few plays later, Alhambra’s quarterback took it himself into the end zone. After the missed extra point, the two teams headed to halftime with South Pasadena leading 28-6.
The away bleachers were full of black and orange for Friday’s game, and they were rewarded with a dominant performance. Alhambra’s marching band performed at halftime, and then the game resumed.
The third quarter was quiet. Neither team scored. Dowd picked up his second sack of the game, and Matsuoka made some tackles for South Pasadena’s defense. Offensively, the Tigers kept running the ball, but ultimately turned the ball over on downs. Alhambra did the same, giving the scoreboard operator a break.
In the fourth quarter, Ortega powered the ball past the Moors, dragging defenders into the red zone and refusing to be brought down. This time it was Matsuda who scored a rushing touchdown, the Tigers’ fourth of the game. The sophomore gave South Pasadena a 35-6 lead with a little over 10 minutes left.
On their next drive, the Moors found the end zone for only the second time, once again missing the extra point. The rushing touchdown brought the score to 35-12, which would hold. South Pasadena went into victory formation and kneeled out the win.
The Tigers’ rushing attack proved to be lethal in this blowout. After a much-needed bye to get fully healthy, South Pasadena will bring their rushing game into league play, taking on the Polytechnic Panthers at home on Friday, Oct. 4 in their Color Day game.
