Villa Park Rushing Attack Stops Canyon

Villa Park overcame three first-half turnovers with a strong second-half rushing game to knock off Canyon, 22-7, in Century League game Friday night at El Modena High School.

The Spartans (4-3, 2-0 in league) rolled up 257 yards rushing, including 206 yards in the second half, to pull away from a 9-7 halftime lead over the Comanches (2-4-1, 0-2).

Villa Park’s Ryan Tsui led the way with 146 yards rushing in 23 carries, including two touchdowns on runs of one and 65 yards. He also caught four passes for 44 yards. Spartan quarterback A.J. Strapp completed nine of 13 passes for 159 yards, including a 25-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Grant Pearsall.

Canyon trailed, 9-0, on Tsui’s one-yard first-quarter touchdown run and a safety when a pass from center soared over punter D.J. Marshall’s head and out of the end zone. The Comanches scored after Perry Dionisiou recovered a muffed punt on the Spartan five and Jeff Brunswig scored from the one-yard line.

Villa Park fullback Raymond Urias suffered a broken left leg and was carried from the field shortly before halftime.