GARDEN GROVE LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Third-Stringer Makes Pass Count for Garden Grove

Garden Grove’s third-string quarterback, Brian Schneider, did what was expected of him in the first three quarters of his team’s Garden Grove League opener Friday night against Kennedy.

Playing because of injuries to other players, he had handed off the ball capably to running back Derek Smith as the Argonauts rolled up more than 200 first-half rushing yards. But after Kennedy quarterback John Guthrie tied the game on a 48-yard touchdown pass to Lamont Jackson in the third quarter, Schneider did the unexpected.

Faced with an awkward third down with 7 minutes 35 seconds to play, Schneider stepped back into the pocket and lofted a 35-yard pass to Adrian Ioja in the end zone, sparking the Argonauts to a 17-7 victory at Western High School.

Ioja’s 37-yard field goal with 1:57 left ensured Garden Grove would improve to 4-0.

Garden Grove dominated both lines of scrimmage, and with more of a passing attack, it might have won easily.

But Schneider, a junior, completed two of three passes, including the touchdown to Ioja. Smith gained 168 yards in 15 carries and scored the Argonauts’ first touchdown on an 11-yard run with 3:02 left in the half.

Kennedy fell to 1-3, 0-1.