Birmingham Tops Van Nuys by Eight

For Birmingham High, a little misfortune turned into good luck. With quarterback Kevin Zeitz nursing a sprained wrist late in the first half, the Braves had to abandon the pass and go to the run.

That meant handing it off to running back Mike Flores, who broke a quick first play for a tie-breaking 64-yard touchdown in Birmingham’s 21-13 victory over Van Nuys at Birmingham.

The meeting was the first league game for both cross-town rivals in a series Birmingham had dominated with three straight shutouts.

The Wolves hounded Birmingham all game, but the Braves’ special teams took advantage of some lapses. With 6:28 left in the game, defensive tackle Jared Clark slipped through the Van Nuys line and blocked Mitch Sgro’s punt. The ball bounded into the end zone and Charlie Reed fell on it for a touchdown and a 21-7 Birmingham lead.