Alvarez, Defense Help Franklin Win : Prep football: Record-setting quarterback throws three touchdown passes as Panthers take City 3-A title with 24-6 victory.

Franklin High passed its way to victory in the City 3-A football championship game at East Los Angeles College Friday night, beating Garfield, 24-6, before a crowd of 13,000.

What had figured to be a battle between Franklin’s passing and Garfield’s running turned into a rout as the Panther offense and defense dictated the tone of the game from the onset.

Garfield tailback Hilario Espinosa, who had rushed for 2,062 yards and 24 touchdowns going into the game, wasn’t a factor after getting the ball three times on the Bulldogs’ first drive. The Panther defense, which has held its opponents to an average of four points a game, restricted Espinosa to 28 yards in his first 15 carries in the first half.

Franklin, which has relied on its passing this season, thrived on it in the first half. Santiago Alvarez, who threw a state-record 45 touchdown passes during the regular season, raised his total to 52 in the playoffs, after throwing three against the Bulldogs.

“I wanted to score fast,” Alvarez said. “If we got up on those guys, no way they’d come back against our defense.”

Alvarez came out throwing on the Panthers’ first possession, a seven-play drive that lasted a little more than three minutes. Lamar Lovett had four receptions in the drive, including a four-yard touchdown on a pattern to the corner of the end zone.

The Bulldogs went to Espinosa again on their second possession and again came up empty-handed.

Then the Panthers took over on their 18 and drove to the Bulldog 30. But the threat ended when the Bulldogs recovered a Panther fumble at the 22. The Bulldogs managed to drive past the 50-yard line before Espinosa fumbled and Panther linebacker Art Gamez recovered.

The Panthers drove to the Bulldog six, but this time an Alvarez-to-Lovett pass into the end zone failed and the Panthers settled for a field goal by Emilio Marquez.

On the Panthers’ next possession, defensive back Tony Torres intercepted a pass by Alvarez at the Panther 43 with less than a minute to go, but came up empty-handed as the clock ran out on the half.

The Bulldogs’ first possession of the second half was aided by a face-mask penalty but ended in a missed 37-yard field goal by Alfred Perez. Alvarez then moved the Panthers from their 20 to another touchdown. The five-play drive was capped by a 47-yard pass to Lovett.

Alvarez connected with Lovett again with 1:37 left on a 27-yard pass to increase the Panther lead to 24-0.

The Panthers, who finished with a 13-1 record, won back-to-back 3-A titles in 1986 and 1987, and have compiled a 44-5 record over the last four years.

Garfield, whose last appearance in the City finals was in 1982, when the Bulldogs lost, 14-13, to Marshall in the 2-A game, finished 10-2-1.