Prado Too Elusive For Loara as El Modena Wins Fifth

El Modena quarterback Jose Prado ran in circles Friday night, but somehow he came out ahead. Loara tried all night to figure him out but couldn’t, and El Modena won the nonleague game, 31-19, in front of 1,500 at Glover Stadium.

Again and again, Loara defenders seemed to have Prado cornered for sizable losses when he had dropped back to pass. But just as they closed in, Prado would circle away to buy extra time and locate a receiver.

Prado completed 12 of 23 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns, just enough to keep El Modena unbeaten (5-0) heading into Century League play next week. Loara falls to 3-2.

When El Modena needed a couple of first downs in order to run some time off the clock after Loara had cut the Vanguards’ lead to 24-19 with 4 minutes 33 seconds left in the game, Prado came through.

Starting at its own 13-yard line, El Modena tried a running play with Ernie Wilson, subbing for Tom Mazzone who left because of an injured leg before halftime and did not return. The play went for one yard and the game’s momentum seemed to have switched to Loara at last.

But Prado would have none of it. He rolled out and hit tight end Alfred Romo for a 22-yard gain and a first down at the 36. One play later, he connected with Gavin Brown for 27 yards and a first down at the Loara 37.

Two plays later, Wilson ran 11 yards around left end for a touchdown with 1:08 left, sealing the victory for El Modena.

“It got a little sticky there at the end,” El Modena Coach Bill Backstrom said.

Three touchdown passes by Prado to three different receivers and a 27-yard field goal by Romo had helped El Modena to a 24-12 lead with 9:16 left, and it looked as if Loara had finally been subdued.

But quarterback Mister Albritton led the Saxons back with a five-play, 74-yard drive that took only 2:12 off the clock. The touchdown came on a 37-yard pass from Albritton to wideout Jamal Barcindebar, who beat the defense down the left sideline.

“They set up the cornerback on that side real nice,” Backstrom said. “We made the plays we had to make, though.”

Albritton had a good night, completing 10 of 19 passes for 130 yards and one touchdown, but also had two interceptions.

In the second half, El Modena solved Loara’s running game, which had been effective early on. Robert Bradshaw gained 50 yards in 15 carries, and Denison Dawson had 45 yards in nine carries for Loara.