Southwest Hands Glendale 3rd Consecutive Loss

Glendale College fullback Rafik Thorossian thought about the question for a moment, then delivered a succinct reply.

“It needs to win a game,” Thorossian said when asked what Glendale must do to prevent the 1991 football season from slipping away just as it’s getting started.

Glendale, the defending Southern California Bowl champion, lost its third game in as many tries Saturday, this one a 31-6 Western State Conference decision to L.A. Southwest at Glendale High.

Although Glendale lost its first two games last season before winning nine in a row, this season’s 0-3 start has Vaquero Coach John Cicuto worried.

“We have to see what we can do because this thing can snowball in a hurry,” he said. “It can be done and we can have a decent season.”

One team that is enjoying a decent season is L.A. Southwest, which improved to 2-0 in conference play and 2-1 overall behind the passing of quarterback Jesse Wallace and a stifling defensive effort up front.

Wallace, a mobile 5-foot-10, 205-pound sophomore from Monroe High, completed 11 of 18 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns.

The Cougar defense, led by 6-6, 260-pound lineman Bryan Proby and linebacker Stacey Ford, limited Glendale (0-2 in conference play) to 316 yards. More important, the Cougars did not permit Glendale to establish a ground game.

Thorossian, playing with a sore back, led the Vaqueros with 44 yards in 12 carries. All-American tailback Bobby Webster, hampered by an ankle sprain, finished with just three yards in eight carries, although he did score Glendale’s only touchdown on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Forced to take to the air, Glendale quarterbacks Mike McMullen and Eric Kiesau had three passes intercepted by Ford.

“I thought we had a hell of an effort defensively,” L.A. Southwest Coach Henry Washington said.

L.A. Southwest opened the scoring in the first quarter with a four-play, 60-yard drive that followed Ford’s first interceptions.

Wallace marched his team downfield through the air, with back-to-back completions of 32 and 19 yards setting up a nine-yard touchdown pass to William Jarrett with 8 minutes 22 seconds left in the quarter.

Glendale running back Fred Dean was tackled in the end zone for a second-quarter safety and Wallace threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Michael Stephens to make it 15-0 Southwest at halftime.

Stephens’ reception, which came with eight seconds left in the half, culminated a four-play, 55-yard drive that took less than a minute off the clock.

Late in the third quarter, the Cougars took a 23-0 lead when Chad Irving hauled in a 37-yard Wallace pass in traffic in the end zone.