Garfield Switches to Ground, Rolls Past Locke, 42-14

The Garfield High School football team posseses a tenacity that wears its opponents into frustration. Heads hang low and coaches curse, and they all wait for the Bulldogs to make the big mistake. Rarely does it come.

Garfield (6-1, 3-0), The Times’ No. 7-ranked team, continued its stroll through the Freeway League Friday with a mistake-free 42-14 beating of Locke that proved the offensive line is the Bulldogs’ best asset.

“Our offensive line is the best in the City,” Garfield Coach Steve Robinson said after the game at Locke in Watts. “They’re just unknown.”

Soon to be known, though, is running back Ernie Ronquillo, who ran for 218 yards and 4 touchdowns in 23 carries. Ronquillo is not especially fast; rather, his running is styled like his team--consistent. Ronquillo, more than any other Garfield player, frustrated Locke. He gained 103 yards and scored a touchdown in his last 3 carries.

“They’re big, they’re quick, and they don’t make mistakes,” Locke Coach E.C. Robinson said of the Bulldogs. “We made some mistakes.”

Garfield has had much success passing the ball this season. Against Locke, the Bulldogs instead stuck to the run in the first quarter. Quarterback Johnny Gomez, the City’s leading passer, threw only three passes in the first quarter while Ronquillo and fullback Guel Saul ran Garfield to a 28-0 lead.

“They give us the run, we take the run,” Steve Robinson said. “And they gave us the run, so we took it. We wanted to keep (Darian) Hagan on the sidelines as much as possible.”

The Saints (2-4-1, 1-2) began the year as a legitimate 3-A title contender with Hagan, considered to be the City’s best all-around player.

But with only three seniors on its roster, Locke relies too heavily on Hagan, the City’s rushing leader. “I don’t have a solid quarterback,” E.C. Robinson said. “Darian’s doing too much, and we can’t get it together.”

With the game completely out of reach, E.C. Robinson pulled Hagan from the game. “You don’t want to risk it with a player like that,” E.C. Robinson said. Hagan threw a 71-yard halfback option touchdown pass to Timmy Thomas, and finished with 85 yards in 11 carries.