Roosevelt’s First Win Is 7-0 Upset of Garfield

Roosevelt earned its first victory of the season Friday night by stunning previously undefeated Garfield, 7-0, in the East Los Angeles football classic before a crowd of 16,000 at East Los Angeles College.

Roosevelt used a big-play first-quarter scoring drive and then held on with a stingy defense. Roosevelt leads the series between the rivals, 29-20-6.

Roosevelt stopped Garfield with a goal-line stand to preserve the victory with 2:06 remaining in the game, after the Bulldogs drove to Roosevelt’s two-yard line behind the passing of David Castillo. The Roughriders were then able to run out the clock on runs by quarterback Jose Garcia and tailback Antwane Embry.

Garfield, which reached the City 3-A Division championship game last year, entered the game as The Times’ fifth-ranked team with a 6-0 record. However, the Bulldogs, who had averaged 26 points per game, were unable to move the ball consistently.

Castillo, who finished with nine completions for 100 yards, did not complete a pass in the first half, throwing only three times. Senior running back Oscar Gonzalez provided much of the Bulldogs’ offense, gaining 74 yards in 10 carries in the first half.

Roosevelt’s one scoring drive came late in the first quarter, when the Roughriders drove 70 yards in seven plays. The key play in the drive was a 38-yard pass play from quarterback Jose Garcia to Rey Castellanos. Roosevelt then scored on a 19-yard double-reverse pass from wide receiver Eddie Soto to tight end Alex Matzumoto with 1:23 left in the quarter.

After their score, the Roughriders then stopped several long Garfield drives, which included two missed 37-yard field-goal attempts. Inside linebackers Antonio Rosales and Abel Mendez led the way for Roosevelt.

Garfield (6-1 overall and 5-1 in the Southeastern Conference) entered the game as the Times’ highest-rated City 3-A team. The Bulldogs, who edged Huntington Park, 13-12, last week, have come from behind in most of their games this season.

Roosevelt (1-6 and 1-5) is having one of its worst seasons in years. The Roughriders haven’t scored more than 13 points in a game this season and were coming off an embarrassing 13-6 loss to Jordan.