Glendale football can’t find way in league-opening loss
GLENDALE —Fresh off the first win of the football season, Glendale High looked to continue its success against visiting Pasadena in the the teams’ Pacific League opener. However, it was not to be.
Glendale had a disastrous second quarter that led a to 48-7 defeat at the hands of the Bulldogs at Moyse Field Friday night in the kickoff of Pacific League play for both squads.
“In the second quarter one thing led to another and it got kind of out of hand there,” Glendale coach Cary Harris said.
Indeed, Pasadena blew the game open. The Bulldogs scored touchdowns on all four of their possessions in the second quarter to lead, 34-0, at the break.
With the loss, Glendale (1-3) has now dropped 22 straight Pacific League games dating back to the final game of the season in 2014. Additionally, the Nitros have not defeated Pasadena (3-1) since 2013.
Already ahead, 7-0, after the first, Pasadena doubled the lead with 9:12 left in the half. Bulldogs Malachi Langley scored the first points of the quarter with an eight-yard run to the right side and the PAT kick made it 14-0. Langley had nine carries for 67 yards and the one score to finish as the game’s leading rusher, despite not playing in the second half.
The next time Pasadena saw the ball, the Bulldogs marched 55 yards and found the end zone once again. Quarterback Andreas Solling connected with Jeremiah Hutchins over the middle for a 16-yard touchdown. On the play a Nitro almost made the pick, but Hutchins snatched it away at the last moment and took it the rest of the way.
After another Glendale three and out, Bulldog Mekhi Fox fielded the Nitro punt and returned it 60 yards for a score. In a bright spot for the hosts, Nitro Christopher Ibarra blocked the point after kick.
Hutchins finished the second-quarter onslaught with another touchdown reception from Solling. This one covered 26 yards and came on the first play after a Nitro fumble. Pasadena led 34-0 at half.
Hutchins led all receivers with four catches for 81 yards and the two second-quarter touchdowns. The junior also scored the first points of the contest with 6:32 to go in the first, capping the Bulldogs’ opening possession. Hutchins took the handoff and picked his way through the Nitro defense for a 28-yard touchdown. He finished with 42 yards in three carries.
All three full possessions in the third quarter ended with a touchdown pass. Two came from Pasadena, with Glendale’s lone score of the game sandwiched in the middle.
“At halftime I think we got things under control,” Harris, who is in his first year at the helm, said. “I told the guys just to play hard and show us what you got.”
The second half started with a seven-play drive by Pasadena, in which five were throws. It ended when Solling threw a laser to Caleb Benson covering 21 yards for a score. After the successful PAT kick the visitors’ lead peaked at 41-0.
Glendale followed the Benson touchdown with its best drive of the night. It covered 80 yards with the biggest gain coming on a pass from Trent Lousaranian, which Kevin Alvarez went to the ground to haul in for a 32-yard gain. The drive finished with the Nitros’ only touchdown when Lousaranian connected with tight end Seth Harley over the middle for a 19-yard score.
Pasadena did immediately answer with another Solling scoring toss. This one covered 37 yards and was the final touchdown of the contest with 46 seconds left in the third. Solling finished 11 of 16 for 188 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. At one point the senior completed nine in a row with three of those being touchdowns.
Lousaranian finished four of 10 for 103 yards, one touchdown and no picks. Forty of those yards came on the game’s final play on a pass to Harley, who finished with two catches for 59 yards.
Ibarra did the bulk of the work on the ground for the Nitros. The Glendale standout had 17 carries for a tough 50 yards.
“[My] guys fought hard. They fought the whole game,” Harris said. “This is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight.”