by Mitch Lehman
Just three years ago, San Gabriel High School’s varsity football team advanced to the CIF championship game, so many without local football-whisperers without a microscope to that program expected a little more resistance from the time-to-time power when San Marino paid a neighborly visit last Friday night.
What the Titans got instead was rapidly accelerating time, as the men in away white piled up thirty-seven first quarter points, encouraging Matador Coach Joe Ledesma to keep the clock running for the final three stanzas as San Marino rolled to a 65-0 victory and improved to 3-0 in the process.
“It was good that we got a lot of people in the game early to get a lot of work,” said San Marino head Coach Mike Hobbie, who substituted liberally once things got out of hand. “Our junior varsity team didn’t have a game last week so that was very positive to get them a lot of playing time and they responded well.”
San Gabriel won the coin toss and might as well have packed it in right there as the Titan defense held on the game’s first three plays.
When the Titans got the ball, quarterback Carson Glazier quickly warmed up his prodigious left arm with a 44-yard pass to J.P. Shohfi. Glazier followed that up with a short touchdown strike to Aiden Santino and San Marino was off to the races following Patrick Crowley’s conversion with 8:41 left in the first quarter.
A defensive stop and Matador punt later and the Titans were on the move again. Nick Pirzada took off on a 20-yard scamper and Glazier gained another eighteen yards via the ground to set up short-yardage quarterback Mark Wicke, who followed blocking back Tino Maese into the end zone for a two-yard score and 14-0 advantage.
A high snap from San Gabriel’s oft-employed punt formation rolled into the end zone for a safety and two more Titan points for a 16-0 lead. The Titans went right back to work after the ensuing free kick. Wicke negotiated the field for a thirty-three yard return to the Matadors 22 yard line. Glazier hit Santino for sixteen yards and Tenny McFarlane cashed in from the six to up the ante to 23-0 with 3:51 left in the opening quarter.
Following yet another defensive stop, Glazier connected with J.P. Shohfi for 50 yards and another score to make it 30-0 and Shohfi hoofed it 52 yards with a returned punt, taking advantage of a textbook block by Chip Crowley, crossing the goal line as the clock ran out on the first quarter with the Titans ahead 37-0.
In all, San Gabriel lined up in punt formation five times in the first twelve minutes and Ledesma had seen enough. He asked officials for permission to let the clock run.
Highlights of the reminder of the contest were interceptions by Chaz Davis, Michael Chan and Wicke; two five-yard touchdown runs by Chan and several other big gainers by the sophomore; strong quarterback play by sophomore Jadyn Torres, who ripped off a 30-yard run and scored from ten yards out and a highlight-reel play by Maese, who forced a fumble with a big hit at the line of scrimmage and then tackled another San Gabriel player who had recovered the initial miscue.
In fact, the Titan defense was so dominant, the Matadors did not record a first down until 8:38 remained in the contest, earning a good-natured celebration from the hosts and their optimistic supporters.
Though one was nearly blocked, Patrick Crowley converted on all nine of his extra points in the contest and ran his 2014 streak to twenty-four straight as the Titans romped.
“I was not expecting San Gabriel to totally change their offense, but they ran some completely different looks,” Hobbie continued. “Our kids did a good job of getting the ball back to the offense and executing.”
Hobbie reserved special praise for “the entire defense” as well as Chan (“he did a great job”); Shohfi, who has battled through a painfully bruised knee (another excellent game for J.P.”); and Torres (Jadyn did a nice job of coming in and running the offense”).
Junior Mark Uriarte led the defense with nine tackles, followed by Davis with six. Junior Joey Elliott and Wicke had five apiece.
California Dreamin’…
The offense will need to run again, at high-octane levels, according to Hobbie, who called California High School – San Marino’s opponent this Friday evening at Titan Stadium – “the toughest team we play, to date.’
“They are big and strong with a smart quarterback and a good running back,” said Hobbie. “It will be very important for us to stop their running game. They use a lot of pulling guards and have a sound attack that features counters and also a spread package. This will be our toughest test of the season – by far. They can move the football.”
Kickoff is set for 7:00 p;.m. and the Titan Football Booster Club will be honoring former San Marino High School teachers and coaches during a special ceremony.
