Gadsby lifts Crescenta Valley High football to win against Golden Valley
CANYON COUNTRY — The Golden Valley High football team couldn’t come close to stopping Crescenta Valley’s Brian Gadsby.
When the Falcons’ running game stalled in the early going of the teams’ nonleague game Friday night, the senior quarterback stepped up, and with poise and workman-like efficiency, catapulted Crescenta Valley to a 48-27 victory at Canyon Country Canyon High.
Gadsby, an All-CIF Southern Section and All-Area Baseball Player of the Year as a pitcher, shredded the Golden Valley (1-2) defense with an array of long passes and short outlet strikes that went for big yardage. The 6-foot-2, 155-pound signal-caller threw for six touchdown passes, completing 26 of 33 passes for 382 yards and one interception.
To punctuate his performance, he also scored on a one-yard plunge up the middle.
“I just have to give a lot of credit to our offensive line; those guys are the ones who gave me the time to throw,” Gadsby said. “All I had to do was take three steps back and throw.
“I thought our receivers also did a great job. They really had to go up and make some great catches and I give them all the credit in the world.”
While Gadsby’s array of talents was on full display against the Grizzlies, a pass he made in the second quarter was nothing short of amazing. With Crescenta Valley (2-0) facing first and goal from the Golden Valley seven-yard line, he rolled out and looked for a target. With defenders rushing in and coming over the top, Gadsby bent down and side-armed a pass into the hands of Boston Lakin in the end zone for a touchdown.
While Gadsby was quick to deflect any credit for Friday’s win, Crescenta Valley Coach Paul Schilling had nothing but praise for the senior.
“Did you see that pass that he threw from the side?” the coach said. “That is just something you cannot coach. That is just something that he has, an amazing ability that really not many guys have. He is just so natural and he makes things happen and he makes guys around him look better.
“I just can’t imagine what kind of football player he would have been if he devoted all of his time to football.”
The Falcons did struggle in the first quarter. When Golden Valley scored with 17 seconds remaining in the opening stanza, the Grizzlies held a 12-7 advantage.
However, after falling behind by five after the first quarter, the Crescenta Valley offense exploded in the second quarter and its defense buckled down. The Falcons outscored their opponents, 34-0, in the second quarter to take a 41-12 advantage into the half.
Gadsby ended the first half with six passing touchdowns and 327 yards.
The Falcons’ defense did its job, holding Golden Valley to just 10 total yards in the first half.
Neither team could establish a running game in the first half, as Crescenta Valley had minus-14 yards rushing and Golden Valley had minus-11.
“A lot of credit has to go to our defensive coach [Dennis] Gossard,” Schilling said. “He had them down to where we knew exactly what they were going to do on offense. He just came up with a great game plan and the guys stepped up.”
Neither team could score in the third quarter and the Falcons took the 29-point advantage going into the final stanza.
The biggest recipient of Gadsby’s performance was Lakin, who had six catches for 95 yards and three touchdowns. Teammate Connor Van Ginkel caught seven balls for 73 yards and one touchdown and Chase Walker had six catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. Jordan Lobianco also caught a touchdown pass.
