Hampton Helps Sylmar Hand Reseda First Defeat of Season, 12-0

Two weeks ago, the big mystery around Sylmar High was two-fold:

No.1) Where is Sean Hampton?

No.2) Where is the Spartan defense?

Fourteen days and two victories later, Coach Tom Richards may have the answer to both questions.

Sylmar’s defense held Reseda scoreless and Hampton scored the clinching touchdown as the Spartans handed the Regents their first loss of the season Friday night, 12-0, in a Pac 8 League showdown at Reseda.

The Regents (5-1) had allowed just 20 points in their first five games, but this time it was the Spartans’ (4-2) stingy defensive corps that set the tone of the game.

“We held Grant to minus-44 yards last week and we did a damn good job on defense out there again tonight,” Richards said. “I’m the happiest man in town.”

Hampton, Times’ All-Valley running back, was held to under 100 yards for the third time in five starts this season, totaling just 33 yards on 19 carries. But for the third consecutive week, Hampton, who also starts in the defensive secondary, intercepted a key pass. This time, Hampton’s 10-yard return for a touchdown of a pass thrown by Reseda quarterback Coley Kyman sealed Sylmar’s win.

Kyman, a sophomore, was inserted into the Reseda lineup when senior quarterback Donnie Grant left the game with an unspecified leg injury early in the first quarter and was unable to return.

Sylmar scored what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown on a 13-yard run by Shawn Wilson in the second period.