CITY SECTION FOOTBALL ROUNDUP : Rose Shines in Grant’s 17-14 Win

Senior running back Adam Rose rushed for 88 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns to pace Grant High to a 17-14 victory over visiting Verdugo Hills in a nonleague opener Friday for both teams.

Rose scored from the five-yard line on the first play of the fourth quarter and from the one with 6 minutes 54 seconds left to give the Lancers a 17-6 lead.

“Our (offensive) line was devastating them,” said Rose, who beefed up from 170 to 200 pounds during the off-season. “I worked hard to get bigger. But if it wasn’t for our line, I would go nowhere.”

Verdugo Hills, which led, 6-0, at halftime, cut Grant’s lead to three with 56 seconds left when Manuel Rivera caught a pass from John Feliz for the two-point conversion after Justin Jamison’s 10-yard run. A personal-foul penalty on a fourth-and-eight play from the Verdugo Hills’ 43 kept the Dons’ drive going.

An onside kick failed, however, and Grant escaped with the win.

Grant was plagued by turnovers, losing two of five fumbles and throwing one interception. Justin Van Fleet recovered a Grant fumble at the Verdugo Hills 47 and 11 plays later scored on a three-yard run with 5:32 left in the half. It was Van Fleet’s only carry.

On their first possession of the second half, the Lancers moved the ball to Verdugo Hills’ one-yard line but lost the ball on Adrian Ramirez’s fumble. Steve Farrington, however, trapped Jamison three plays later in the end zone for a safety.

Grant quarterback Jason Arnold completed five of 12 passes for 84 yards with one interception. Teammate Sandro Perez had four receptions for 63 yards.

Donald Coulter rushed for 65 yards in six carries, and Jamison had 51 yards in 11 carries to lead Verdugo Hills.