Garfield High's football team stuns Birmingham, 29-28

Garfield High football fans are among the most loyal and dedicated in the Southland, and they especially enjoy victories over their arch rival, Roosevelt.

But on Thursday night, the Bulldog nation was rejoicing after perhaps the most improbable victory in school history, a 29-28 triumph over two-time defending City Section Championship Division champion Lake Balboa Birmingham behind a 5-foot-5 senior quarterback named Patrick Vargas, who threw three touchdown passes.

"It's like a dream come true," Garfield Coach Lorenzo Hernandez said. "It's surreal. I'm like, 'Are we really supposed to be here?' "

It was Hernandez who decided to move Garfield, last year's City Invitational champion, into the City Championship Division this season and try to take on the big boys. And no one is bigger than Birmingham, which had a 13-game win streak snapped.

Garfield scored 29 consecutive points after falling behind, 14-0. Then Birmingham almost pulled off a miracle comeback.

Trailing, 29-14, the Patriots got a 10-yard touchdown run from Kimbrick Collier with 3:24 left, then a two-point conversion run from Collier to close to 29-22.

Garfield only needed to run out the clock, but the Bulldogs lost the ball on a fumble recovered by Victor Garcia with 2:37 remaining.

Quarterback Morey Croson completed passes of 15 and 38 yards to De'Von Flournoy. Trajuan Briggs scored on a three-yard touchdown run with 1:33 left, making it 29-28.

Birmingham Coach Ed Croson decided to go for the victory and seek a two-point conversion. Backup quarterback Steven Zamora took the handoff, briefly lost the ball, then darted toward the end zone. The ball appeared to cross into the end zone, then fell out of his hands back toward the five-yard line. The officials ruled he did not score.

Garfield then ran out the clock as its fans celebrated at Birmingham.

There were many standouts for Garfield, which controlled the clock throughout with an effective running game, but no one was more valuable than Vargas, who was 5-0 as a starting quarterback last season. He threw touchdown passes of 14 yards to Aaron Salas, 10 yards to Franky Diaz and 33 yards to Lanny Delgado.

At one point in the second half, Vargas completed seven consecutive passes. He finished 13 of 18 for 144 yards.

"He's been playing football all his life and understands how to take charge on the field," Hernandez said.

Morey Croson was intercepted twice, with Eric Saucedo of Garfield returning one interception 30 yards for a touchdown. Delgado was outstanding playing cornerback and covering the USC-bound Flournoy, who struggled with an injured ankle.

Sergio Macedo rushed for 108 yards in 20 carries for Garfield. Croson passed for 231 yards.

Birmingham junior receiver Davontae Brooks started the game with a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Later, he had a 44-yard pass reception to set up a one-yard touchdown by Zamora.

But weaknesses by Birmingham were exposed all night by Garfield, and the Patriots didn't help matters by committing 14 penalties for 102 yards.