HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ROUNDUP : Loyola Uses Trick Play to Upset Fontana, 10-7

Loyola High went deep into its bag of tricks, using the fumblerooski to set up its only touchdown, and hung on for a 10-7 upset victory over Fontana in a Southern Section Division I quarterfinal game Friday night at Glendale High.

Trailing 7-3 in the fourth quarter and having trouble moving the ball, Loyola quarterback Corby Smith took the snap, put the ball on the line of scrimmage and watched as guard Aaron Pingel picked it up and ran 23 yards to the Fontana seven-yard line. Three plays later, Smith scored on a one-yard keeper to put the Cubs ahead, 10-7.

“We’ve been practicing that play all year, from the first week of practice,” Loyola Coach Steve Grady said. “We planned all this week to use it tonight. The time presented itself, so we went for it. We knew Aaron would either be a hero or a goat.”

Loyola, The Times’ 11th-ranked team, improved to 10-2 and will play Canyon High of Canyon Country, a 21-20 winner over Bishop Amat, in a semifinal game next Saturday. Third-ranked Fontana, the defending Division I champion, ended the season 10-2.

Fontana had a chance to win in the final minutes. The Steelers took possession at their 41-yard line with 3:50 to play. They drove to the Loyola 33, but on fourth and eight, running back Richard Stephens was stopped a half-yard short of the first down.

Loyola took over with 1:38 to play and ran out the clock.

The game, played before a crowd of about 8,000, was closely contested from the opening kickoff. Neither team could sustain much offense. Fontana finished with 252 yards and Loyola had 142.

Fontana running backs Hollerith Jones and David Griffin each had a few long runs, but they were consistently stopped deep in Loyola territory.

“This game is what we expected,” Fontana Coach Dick Bruich said. “We knew it would be tough. Loyola adjusted very well.”

Loyola drove 80 yards in a 10-play drive that included the fumblerooski play to score its lone touchdown. The drive took 5:36.

Fontana dominated the clock in the first half, keeping the ball for 17:43 to 6:17 for Loyola. But the Steelers could manage only one touchdown, which came on a 23-yard reverse by Griffin in the second quarter and capped a 20-play drive that covered 95 yards.

Loyola, which ran only 12 plays for 67 yards in the first half, cut the lead to 7-3 at halftime when Lance Harmon kicked a 38-yard field goal with six seconds remaining.