San Fernando Tops Defending City 3-A Champ Manual Arts

The San Fernando High football team has been notoriously slow in getting untracked over the years.

Even when they won back-to-back City championships in 1974 and 1975, the Tigers lost in their season opener both seasons.

Going into their opening game against Manual Arts Friday night at San Fernando, the Tigers had lost five of their last six openers.

The main problem has been getting its wishbone offense in sync.

“The ‘bone takes a while to get going,” said Coach Tom Hernandez, an All-City guard on the 1974 team. “When you pitch the ball a lot, you fumble it a lot.

“It’s a big problem every year.”

But the Tigers didn’t need the ‘bone this year.

On a night when the offense sputtered more than it sparkled, the Tiger defense dominated the defending City 3-A champions in a 21-0 victory.

Manual Arts, which had won 22 of its previous 24 games, including a 12-7 victory over San Fernando in last year’s opener, was limited to 32 total yards, including minus four rushing.

San Fernando blocked two punts and had four quarterback sacks.

The Tiger offense put together only one long drive, marching 64 yards to its third touchdown after taking the second-half kickoff.

Reserve halfback Ron McMillan, who started the drive with a 28-yard run, scored from four yards out.

San Fernando, the Valley’s top-ranked City team, opened a 14-0 lead just 26 seconds before the end of the first half after Mark Toledo used Manual Arts blocking back Herman Nash as a springboard to block a punt by Michael Scott.

That gave the Tigers a first down on the Manual Arts 9-yard line with 2:04 left.

On fourth down from the two, halfback David Richards took a pitch from quarterback Dwayne Calloway and sprinted untouched around the right end for his second touchdown of the half.

He scored his first on a one-yard run in the first quarter to end a 21-yard drive.

San Fernando got the ball so deep in Manual Arts territory when center Juan Macias sailed a snap over the head of Scott and through the punter’s hands.

Manual Arts 0 0 0 0 -- 0 San Fernando 7 7 7 0 -- 21 SF--Richards 1 run (Ontiveros kick).

SF--Richards 2 run (Ontiveros kick).

SF--McMillan 4 run (Ontiveros kick).