Avalos’ Long Return of Interception Keys San Fernando, 20-12

Lennie Avalos’ 103-yard interception return for a touchdown woke up sleepy San Fernando High as the host Tigers scored 20 points in a row to beat Chatsworth, 20-12, in a Northwest Valley Conference game Friday night.

In remaining unbeaten, San Fernando (7-0, 4-0 in league play) needed its defense to take charge because its vaunted offense turned the ball over five times and was held to 183 yards. The Tigers intercepted three passes and scored two touchdowns in the second half for the comeback victory.

“You can’t always be up,” San Fernando Coach Tom Hernandez said. “But good teams find a way to win.”

It was a bitter outcome for Chancellor quarterback Brian Comer, who played a solid first half in directing his team to a two-touchdown lead.

Early in the game, San Fernando’s Dwight McDuff fumbled away a punt and the Chancellors scored on the next play. Comer rolled right, then threw back across field to tight end Lamon Odom, who ran 31 yards for the touchdown. The extra point was blocked and the score was 6-0.

San Fernando’s LaKarlos Townsend fumbled the ball back to Chatsworth. Several plays later, tailback Montay Hardison took the pitch and, as the defense closed in to stop the run, lofted the ball to a wide-open John Gamm. The touchdown pass covered 25 yards and, after a failed two-point conversion, the Chancellors (4-3, 2-2) led, 12-0.

But just when the Tigers looked as if they might stumble quietly into the night, San Fernando’s Brian Brison blocked a punt. San Fernando quarterback Leon Blunt wasted little time getting his team back into contention, connecting with McDuff for a 20-yard touchdown pass.

The half ended with the score 12-7.

The turning point came after a fumble on the second-half kickoff gave Chatsworth an opportunity to widen its lead. That’s when Avalos intercepted a pass in his end zone. “Just to catch the ball, that’s all I wanted,” the defensive back said. “Someone threw a great block, I saw an opening and started running as hard as I could up the sidelines.”

Suddenly San Fernando led, 13-12, and Chatsworth sagged.

Comer threw another interception in the first minute of the fourth quarter. The Tigers made him pay again, marching 30 yards in three plays. Blunt ran a sneak the last 20 yards for a 20-12 lead that held up.

Avalos picked off another Comer pass to seal the victory.

Comer completed eight of 15 passes for 100 yards. On the other side of the ball, Townsend was held to 59 yards in 10 carries before leaving the game late in the third quarter because of a slight knee injury.

“Our defense played well but those interceptions didn’t help,” Chatsworth Coach Myron Gibford said. “We beat ourselves.”