Garcia’s Big Plays, Touchdown Runs Boost El Modena, 31-0

Adam Garcia ran for three touchdowns and 175 yards, leading El Modena High School to a 31-0 victory over Culver City Friday night at Fred Kelly Stadium.

El Modena advances to the second round of the Division III playoffs to face Hart.

Garcia took the opening kickoff and returned it 59 yards to Culver City’s 31-yard line. Seven plays later, he scored on a one-yard run.

On El Modena’s next possession, quarterback Jose Prado hit Gavin Brown for with a 62-yard scoring pass, and El Modena took a 14-0 lead.

Garcia’s 68-yard touchdown run on El Modena’s first possession of the second half set the tone for the rest of the game.

“We play smash-mouth football,” El Modena Coach Bill Backstrom said. “We felt we could run right at Culver City tonight, and that’s what we did.”

While the offense made big plays, the defense kept Culver City’s big-play quarterback, Dameron Ricketts, from doing any serious damage.

“He’s got a lot of moves and he’s very slippery, but we contained him pretty well and kept him between the ends,” Backstrom said.

Ricketts completed seven of 26 passes for 97 yards with one interception, and had 16 yards rushing in 23 carries.