By Vincent PAGE

When the Crescenta Valley Falcons football team traveled to Pasadena High School on Friday night, the players weren’t expecting the game that transpired. For the Falcons, Pasadena is usually a walk-through exercise to tune up for tougher competition in the Pacific League. However, this year was different.

Though both teams were 3-0, CVHS was ranked much higher than PHS. But that difference did not stop the Bulldogs from showing they can run with the wolves of the league as the team took a quick 14-0 lead over the Falcons in the first quarter. To make matters worse, CV lost their star running back Maximus Grant early on in the game.

Thankfully for CV, the team was able to rally on offense. After going down 14-0, the Falcons, even without Grant, committed to the run for the entire game – so much so that quarterback Chase Center attempted only five passes the entire night (he ran the ball an equal number of times).

The run was established early by Sebastian DeLeon, who usually makes his presence known on defense. He scored the Falcons’ first touchdown of the night, a 20-yard run early in the second quarter. He punched the ball into the endzone again later in the quarter to even the score at 14. DeLeon finished the night with 10 carries for 78 yards and three touchdowns.

His companion in the running game was James Cho. The senior toted the ball 10 times in the first half, gaining 76 yards in the process. While he never reached the end zone, Cho was dynamic when on the field and a steady complement to DeLeon.

After a Pasadena field goal to start the third quarter, the Falcons responded by dominating the rest of the game. Head coach Hudson Gossard called 10 consecutive run plays, the final one being a two-yard keep by Center to score and take a 21-17 lead. The Falcons would hold onto the lead for the rest of the night. Cho was once again huge on this drive, gaining 56 of the 75 yards. He finished the night with the best game of his career, carrying the ball 20 times for 187 yards.

The Falcons finished off the scoring with DeLeon’s third touchdown of the game, securing the victory and a perfect 4-0 start for CV. DeLeon contributed plenty on defense as well, notching 16 tackles in a dominant iron man performance.

Moving forward, the Falcons face their biggest test so far this season when they travel to face Burroughs High School. Sitting at 5-0, Burroughs has yet to have any true tests this season. They always prove to be a competitive matchup for the Falcons, and are one of the best coached teams in the Pacific League. The Falcons’ offense will need to continue its resilience against a Burroughs defense that averages only 16.2 points per game. And as for the Falcons’ defensive unit, it will have its hands full stopping a complete Burroughs offense led by dual-threat quarterback Nicholas Garcia.

The Falcons will head to Burroughs for their matchup this Friday, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. in what could be an early indicator of who is the favorite to win the Pacific League in 2019.

  Vincent PAGE