Flintridge Prep football, Jones haul in second win of season

BALDWIN PARK — The good news for the Flintridge Prep football team was that it could equal last year’s win total in just the fourth game of the season when it went on the road to take on Sierra Vista in a nonleague contest. The not-so-great news was that the Rebels were also looking to end a two-game losing streak after opening the campaign with a dominant shutout victory.

On Friday night, the Rebels did indeed get their second win of the season to even their record and halt their losing streak as Flintridge Prep came away with a 29-14 win against the host Dons, keyed by Riley Jones’ four total touchdowns.

“This was a great win,” Rebels Coach Antonio Harrison said. “We were coming off two losses and we needed the morale boost. We told the boys we were going to work hard to give them more praise and it worked. They came ready to have fun and that’s what it’s all about.”

Flintridge Prep quarterback Andrew Tsangeos finished the game going a perfect 12 of 12 through the air for 190 yards and three scores. As he had the previous week, Jones caught all three of Tsangeos’ touchdown passes. The junior signal-caller also finished with 76 yards on the ground on 10 carries.

“We focused on what we were doing right and we did it,” Tsangeos said.

Elliot Witter led the Rebels’ ground attack with 14 carries for 83 yards.

Not surprisingly, Jones led all receivers with eight catches for 155 yards and three receiving touchdowns.

“The O-line did a great job,” said Tsangeos. “I think it was their best game.”

The first half saw the Flintridge Prep offense control the ball with a well-balanced attack. The Rebels (2-2) scored touchdowns on both of their drives in the first quarter, with both culminating in Jones catches from quarterback Andrew Tsangeos. The first drive spanned 5 minutes 49 seconds, covering 84 yards in 11 plays. Jones caught a six-yard pass to finish the drive and score the first points of the contest.

The Dons immediately answered, driving 46 yards in six plays, capped off by a 12-yard rushing touchdown by Max Brown. Flintridge Prep then held the ball for the remainder of the quarter, which ended with Tsangeos heaving a 65-yard touchdown pass to Jones as the Rebels faced third and long.

The second quarter saw the Rebel defense stop the Dons on fourth down. However, the ensuing Flintridge Prep drive was stopped one yard from paydirt. Soon after that, Jones, not content with just catching scoring passes from his quarterback, picked off Sierra Vista quarterback Steve Aguayo over the middle and returned the interception 54 yards for a touchdown.

“I just had fun with it after I caught it,” Jones said. “Everyone was pumped up and the linemen got downfield for blocks.”

The Jones defensive touchdown would be the only points of the quarter, giving the visiting Rebels a 20-7 advantage at the break.

In the third quarter, the Flintridge Prep lead peaked at 26-7, when Jones caught his third offensive touchdown of the evening on a 22-yard pass up the middle. Late in the quarter, the Dons recovered a fumble on a botched handoff and scored two plays later on a one-yard run by Brown. Brown, who produced the vast majority of the offense for the Dons (1-2), finished with 22 carries for 127 yards and the two scores.

The only score of the fourth quarter came on a 40-yard field goal by Rebel kicker Jonah Sacks.

The Flintridge Prep defense, which had surrendered 105 points in the last two games, finally found traction again against the Dons. Additionally, the Rebels were in no doubt helped by the return of starting linebacker Chris Zaro after the senior missed the last game, sitting out due to an ejection the week before.

“[Zaro] came back. He’s been busting his butt in practice. He really wanted to be out there,” Harrison said. “With him anchoring us and a little bit of different rotation on the defensive line to give them a break, it made a difference.”

Up next for the Rebels will be a nonleague contest hosting Mountain Empire next Saturday at Occidental College.

“It’s going to be hot,” Harrison said of the game, scheduled for 1 p.m. “I hope the boys are ready to run a little in the sun.”