St. Francis football improves as it goes in win over West Covina

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St. Francis’ Michael Calmette recovers a West Covina fumble before West Covina’s Xavian Morales during a game on Friday, September 4, 2015. (Roger Wilson/Staff Photographer)

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St. Francis’ Daniel Scott completes a pass despite West Covina’s Matt Vargas during a game on Friday, September 4, 2015. (Roger Wilson/Staff Photographer)

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St. Francis’ Jasher Foster comes up just short of a touchdown with West Covina defender Matt Vargas trying to stop him during a game on Friday, September 4, 2015. (Roger Wilson/Staff Photographer)

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St. Francis quarterback Miles Bryant gets blocked by West Covina’s Adrian Huerta during a game on Friday, September 4, 2015. (Roger Wilson/Staff Photographer)

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St. Francis’ Areg Nazarian scores a touchdown during a game against West Covina on Friday, September 4, 2015. (Roger Wilson/Staff Photographer)

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St. Francis’ Gabriel Grbavac gets caught by West Covina’s Jahkel Robins during a game on Friday, September 4, 2015. (Roger Wilson/Staff Photographer)

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St. Francis’ Tre’ Polamalu looks for a way around West Covina defender Matt Vargas during a game on Friday, September 4, 2015. (Roger Wilson/Staff Photographer)

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St. Francis’ Areg Nazarian evades West Covina defender Prentis Busby during a game on Friday, September 4, 2015. (Roger Wilson/Staff Photographer) (Roger Wilson/Staff Photographer)

By Edgar Melik-Stepanyan, Special to the Glendale News-Press

Sept. 4, 2015 11:22 PM PT

LA CAÑADA — Defensively, he needed his St. Francis High football team to put more pressure on the quarterback and limit big plays.

Offensively, St. Francis Coach Jim Bonds needed better production from his skill players.

It was only the first game of the season, but the St. Francis coaching staff was just as intense as it would be for a crucial league game, imploring the Golden Knights for better efforts after West Covina got off to a strong start in the first quarter of Friday’s nonleague game.

PHOTOS: St. Francis opens season with 36-24 win over West Covina

Offensively and defensively, the Golden Knights listened to their coaches and improved in each facet of the game over the final three quarters en route to a 36-24 home victory.

“We just came together as a team,” said Golden Knight wide receiver and cornerback Jasher Foster, a standout on both sides of the ball who had seven receptions for 135 yards and two touchdowns, including a five-yard score in the third quarter that proved to be the difference.

The Golden Knights, the fourth-ranked team in the CIF Southern Section Southeast Division, needed to play better to have a chance to defeat West Covina, the fifth-ranked team in Central Division.

The Bulldogs (0-2) scored 14 first-quarter points and amassed 141 total yards as they built a 14-7 lead on the strength of the play of quarterback Aaron McCorkle, who was six of six for 120 yards in the opening frame.

“We were nervous about the game because they had already had a game under their belt,” Bonds said. “We talked about being better in the second quarter than we were in the first quarter and then being better in the third quarter than we were in the second quarter.”

St. Francis played much better in the second quarter than it did in the first.

It scored a pair of touchdowns and limited West Covina to a field goal to take a 21-17 lead. Gabriel Grbavac and Areg Nazarian – who had 92 yards rushing in 16 carries – each scored a rushing touchdown in the quarter.

Foster’s second score in the third quarter proved to be the final touchdown for the Golden Knights, who added a pair of field goals from Matt Bazarevitsch in the fourth quarter. St. Francis quarterback Miles Bryant was 16 of 21 for 243 yards, completing nine of his 10 passes in the second half for 133 yards.

“He got more comfortable as the game went on,” Bonds said. “We were finally able to get our timing right.”

The Golden Knights’ defense played like a different team in the final three quarters.

McCorkle had little time to pass and West Covina’s running backs had little room to run, as the Bulldogs were stifled for 104 total yards in the final three quarters, 74 of which came on a play when the Golden Knights lost track of a Bulldogs receiver in the third quarter.

St. Francis sacked McCorkle 11 times, including an emphatic takedown in the end zone for a safety with under a minute left in the game.

“We knew our defensive line was going to set the tone,” Bonds said. “They got after them.”