Late Canyon Rally Puts Upstart Saugus Out of Order, 18-16

It used to be that the Saugus High football team had no business playing against Golden League rival Canyon. When you’re 0-10, like the Centurions were last year, and Canyon is riding a 46-game winning streak just a few miles away, it’s putting it mildly to say that you’re outclassed.

Saugus, making football its business this season, made a trip to Canyon on Friday night. But Canyon, after fighting off the pesky Centurions, went about business as usual and banged out an 18-16 win in the league-opening game for both teams.

“I wouldn’t have been surprised if they had beaten us,” Canyon Coach Harry Welch said. “It would have been an upset if last year’s team had beaten us.”

Welch might not have been surprised, but most of the Santa Clarita Valley football faithful must have raised their collective eyebrows when Saugus (3-3, 0-1 in league play) took an 8-0 halftime lead.

“They were firing off the ball,” Welch said. “We weren’t doing anything right.”

Welch pointed out a few of the Cowboys’ shortcomings in the locker room before his team charged back onto the field.

“I think we were just thinking that it was no problem,” Canyon quarterback Rod Baltau said. “We just thought that if we just showed up, we’d win.”

Baltau and his teammates finally did show up on the Cowboys’ first two possessions of the second half. Baltau, who completed 4 of 14 passes for 75 yards, drove Canyon 75 yards on six plays to tie the score, 8-8.

Sophomore freight train-tailback Chris Peery, who rushed for 110 yards on 24 carries, bolted 22 yards for a touchdown to cap the drive.

Peery, who gained 84 yards in the second half, ran eight yards for another touchdown on the Cowboys’ next possession.

“Their defense was great in the first half,” Peery said. “But we came out and played hard-nosed football.”

Said Saugus Coach Dick Flaherty: “Canyon came out fired up in the third quarter and took it to us on the first two series.”

Canyon’s Tom Gahry kicked a 32-yard field goal to give the Cowboys an 18-8 lead with eight minutes to play. But Saugus was good for one more score.

Quarterback Jared Snyder, who completed 14 of 22 passes for 108 yards, drove the Centurions 80 yards in the game’s final minutes. Snyder hit tailback Lamark Allen with a six-yard screen pass for a touchdown with 2:40 to play.

Canyon (4-2, 1-0) sealed the win when Brian Zemojtel smothered Danny Regan’s onside kick.

“I would have liked to have another march like we had at the end,” Flaherty said. “But I thought we played well.”

In a first half cluttered with clumsy ballcarriers, Saugus out-fumbled Canyon, 4-2, but limited the Cowboys to 54 yards total offense. Canyon mustered just six yards in the first quarter.

Saugus took a 2-0 lead midway through the first quarter when Baltau fumbled in the Cowboys’ end zone and the ball squirted beyond the end line for a safety.

One play earlier, Snyder had fumbled the ball after scrambling for a 17-yard gain. Linebacker John Bietsch recovered for Canyon.

Saugus had an earlier drive stall when Allen fumbled a pitchout at the Canyon three-yard line.

Allen, who along with Snyder fumbled twice in the first half, ran three yards for a touchdown after Canyon’s ensuing free kick.

Allen finished with 35 yards rushing on 14 carries and three fumbles.