First published in the Sept. 8 print issue of the Pasadena Outlook.
The Maranatha High School varsity football team collected its second consecutive win in the early stages of the season after defeating Garey High in Pomona, 56-28, in a nonleague game last Friday.
The Minutemen faced a 28-21 deficit at halftime, but a combination of powerful offensive plays and a sturdy defense gave Maranatha the edge in the second half.
Senior quarterback Michael Martin completed 10 passes for 215 yards and four touchdowns while adding a pair of carries for 122 yards and a touchdown. Junior Jah Reeves collected five receptions for 111 yards with three touchdowns and a pair of tackles on defense. Sophomore Miles Omalley rushed for 169 yards on nine carries with a touchdown in addition to a pair of catches for 40 yards.
Junior Carter Shupper led the defense, producing a team-high 15 total tackles in addition to a 35-yard pick-six and a fumble recovery. Samuel Funches tallied a pair of catches for 54 yards and a touchdown, senior Connor Patterson had one reception for 10 yards, and sophomore Owen Meleka was a perfect 8-for-8 in PAT attempts.
Dejohn Jones and freshman Niko Vergara each amassed eight tackles, while Jacob Neely registered four tackles and a 22-yard interception. Duke Mora posted six tackles, while senior Karsten Halvorson and Paul Argueta each recorded five tackles.
Aj Campana, Beau Stubbs and sophomore Alexander Watlington each made four tackles
Senior Jt Lam logged three tackles, while Bradley Loiacono, Patrick Covert, James Lee and Luke Price each made a pair of tackles. Junior Andrew Massino collected one tackle and a pair of pancake blocks, freshman Dexter Bryant tallied one tackle and senior Yanjun Li finished with five key blocks
The Minutemen previously routed visiting Beverly Hills, 42-6, in their nonleague season opener. Maranatha scored all 42 of its points in the first half by posting a 28 spot and a 14 spot in the first and second quarters, respectively. The defense held Beverly Hills scoreless for the first three quarters until it found the end zone in the fourth quarter.
Martin was six of seven passing for 123 yards with a pair of touchdowns in the air while adding two carries for 41 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Omalley rushed for 87 yards on seven carries with a pair of touchdowns, while Patterson made four catches for 83 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Neely and Vazquez each made a pair of tackles and an interception, while the latter added one reception for 24 yards on offense. Reeves produced a game-high seven tackles, Shupper tallied six tackles and a sack, and Jones had four tackles and a sack.
Maranatha (2-0) will host Bishop Montgomery High of Torrance in a nonleague game on Friday, Sept. 9, at 7 p.m.
ST. FRANCIS
SFHS lost a nonleague game at Millikan High in Long Beach, 54-28, last Friday.
Junior John Calmette rushed for 74 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions while making five catches for 39 yards. Senior quarterback Jack Jacobs was 13 of 25 passing for 158 yards, while sophomore John Sanders completed a pair of passes for 59 yards and a touchdown in the pocket. Senior Antonio Merlos posted five receptions for 75 yards, while senior Jett Mccullough made three catches for 66 yards while posting three tackles and a team-high 11 passes deflected on defense. Junior Adam Sandoval and senior DruShun Phillips each had one reception for 26 and 11 yards, respectively, while the latter tallied six tackles on defense.
Junior Preston Jernegan amassed a team-high nine tackles and a pair of sacks, sophomore Thomas Deluccia registered five tackles, and sophomore Julian Navarro notched four tackles. Junior Alex Juarez finished with three tackles, junior Nizam Nama produced two tackles, and seniors Ryan Doerfler and Michael Gordo each had one tackle.
The Golden Knights previously won a thrilling nonleague game at Mira Costa High in Manhattan Beach, 52-48, on Aug. 26. SFHS entered the second half facing a four-point deficit but secured a one-point lead at the end of the third quarter, 35-34.
Jacobs went 19-for-34 for 384 yards and five touchdowns in the air while rushing for 13 yards on seven carries with a touchdown on the ground. Mccullough posted five receptions for 116 yards with a touchdown, while Calmette carried 18 times for 88 yards, made three catches for 34 yards with a touchdown and added a pair of solo tackles on defense. Merlos logged four catches for 59 yards with a pair of touchdowns, senior Hank Foley produced four catches for 69 yards and six tackles on defense, and Sandoval made a pair of catches for 98 yards with a touchdown. Jernegan had one reception for eight yards with a team-high 10 tackles on defense, while senior Clint Geryak went 7-for-7 in PAT attempts with a field goal.
Junior Tyler Cofre collected four tackles and a pick-six, while sophomore Jamie Lawyer tallied six tackles. Phillips and Deluccia each made five tackles, while Navarro registered four tackles. Senior Racin Delgatty and Gordo each had a pair of tackles, while Doerfler and Juarez finished with one tackle.
St. Francis (1-2 overall) will host St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy in a nonleague game on Friday, Sept. 9, at 7 p.m.
POLY
The Panthers were shut out at San Gabriel, 41-0, in a nonleague game last Thursday. No individual statistics were reported to the Pasadena Outlook by the Polytechnic coaching staff.
The Panthers (0-2 overall) will host Campbell Hall High of North Hollywood in their home opener on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 4 p.m.
