La Cañada High football recovers after sloppy first half to pounce on Alhambra

LA CAÑADA —Within a matter of less than five minutes, a frustrating first half of football disappeared for the La Cañada High football team.

The Spartans scored 20 points within the first few minutes of the third quarter before eventually rolling to a 23-7 nonleague victory versus visiting Alhambra on Thursday evening.

With the triumph, the Ramsey Lambert-era continues unblemished, as La Cañada improved to 2-0 under the first-year coach.

PHOTOS: La Cañada High rolls to a 23-7 win

“It was just a matter of sticking with what we know we can do,” Lambert said. “We did not play a good first half, but at halftime we just focused on making the best decisions and kept fighting. We knew we could turn this around, it was just a matter of time.”

The Spartans had trouble blocking, executing reads and just generally moving the ball forward in a first half in which the team tallied two first downs and 19 yards of total offense while trailing Alhambra, 7-0.

Yet, a solid kick return to open the second half propelled the Spartans to a quick score as the team marched 50 yards on seven plays and broke through on a one-yard plunge from junior running back Ryan Breneman.

“It was a bad first half, but we couldn’t quit, we wouldn’t quit,” said Breneman, who led the squad with 76 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries. “We were better than we played and we had to show it.”

On the scoring drive alone, the Spartans nearly tripled their first-half yardage, while accumulating four first downs.

Breneman’s touchdown preceded what was one of five takeaways from a dominant defense, as Alhambra fumbled on its first play of the second half on a high snap, which was recovered by La Cañada’s Kevin House at the Moors’ nine-yard line.

Three plays later, senior Anthony Connell (13 carries for 50 yards and two touchdowns) put his squad ahead for good with a one-yard score.

The touchdown, followed by a successful extra-point try, put La Cañada up, 14-7, with 8:36 remaining in the third.

The Spartans weren’t quite done, as Lambert called for a pooch kick on the ensuing kickoff that thoroughly flustered the Moors and resulted in a Spartans’ recovery at the Alhambra 28.

A 27-yard pass play from quarterback Kevin McGowin to Connell put the ball just inches from the goal line. After a short loss, Connell punched in his second touchdown from three yards out to give La Cañada a 20-3 advantage (extra point was missed) with 7:42 left in the third.

“We were better than we played and we knew the offense would come through,” Spartans junior defensive back Andrew Sarceda said. “As a defense, we knew that if we stopped [Alhambra], we’d give ourselves a chance to win.”

Sarceda and his defense pitched a shutout in the second half, surrendering three first downs while not allowing Alhambra to pass the Spartans’ 46.

A fumble recovery from La Cañada’s David Vardanian led to the Spartans’ final three points of the contest when junior kicker Mikey Selsor blasted a 44-yard field goal with 8:56 left in the fourth to give the home team a 23-7 advantage.

Alhambra held a 7-0 lead through what was a somewhat lackluster first half that included five combined turnovers and six overall first downs.

The biggest of those gaffes took place at the 10:15 mark in the first quarter when Moors senior cornerback James Giambalvo intercepted a pass at the La Cañada 25.

Giambalvo cut from the middle of the field down the visiting sideline and scored behind a wall of blockers to give the Moors a 7-0 lead after the extra point.

The interception and score came one play after Connell had a 69-yard punt-return touchdown called back because of an illegal block in the back.

Despite the setback, La Cañada seemed to create its own game-changing turnover when Sarceda picked off Alhambra quarterback Julio Garcia (nine for 20 for 56 yards and two interceptions) at the Moors’ 25 and returned the ball to the 13 with 1:23 left in the first half.

Unfortunately for the Spartans, on the very next play, the offense gave the ball right back on a fumble.

On the Moors’ ensuing possession, Garcia threw another interception, this one taken by sophomore Jace Harrick at the Alhambra 30 with 33.7 seconds left.

McGowin went incomplete on three straight passes and he and his teammates watched in agony as a 47-yard field goal attempt from Selsor hit off the front post just before the half expired.

The Selsor attempt was only two yards off the school record.

La Cañada finished with three takeaways in the first half, with the other proving timely as Harrick stripped Alhambra running back Joe Santana as the Moors were driving.

The fumble was recovered by Sarceda at the Spartans’32 with 5:20 left in the first half.

“The defense was great again and kept us in the game,” Lambert said. “I thought it would be different in the second half because the offense began to find a feel. Once they started to get going, I was sure we’d get going.”