Romo Helps El Modena Steal a Share of Title

The Century League football championship was Villa Park’s for the taking Friday night at El Modena High. All the Spartans had to do was defeat El Modena and the title was theirs, no questions asked.

But El Modena defensive back Fred Romo, who knew that fact well, reached out and snatched the championship away, plucking it out of the air and running away with it.

It could have been simple. Instead, there was chaos. El Modena’s 7-0 victory over Villa Park, coupled with Orange’s 33-0 victory over Santa Ana Valley, produced a three-way tie for the league title.

El Modena, Orange and Villa Park each finished with 4-1 league records, and a coin flip determined Orange will be the league’s No. 1 representative to the Southern Section Division III playoffs next week. El Modena, because of its victory Friday, will be the No. 2 entry with Villa Park No. 3.

Blame this mess on Romo, who had three interceptions, including a 24-yard return for a touchdown in the third quarter which provided the game-winning points for El Modena (9-1).

Romo said he saw only “end zone and guys blocking” on the play.

“I really didn’t feel it until I hit the end zone,” said Romo, a senior. “Then, I said, ‘My God, it’s a touchdown.’ ”

Really, it was that important.

El Modena’s offense managed little until then, and after the touchdown Vanguard Coach Bill Backstrom said he became more conservative.

The offensive numbers were, well, offensive: 49 yards rushing, 15 yards passing. In the first half, El Modena scratched out a staggering six yards of offense.

It seemed each time quarterback Jose Prado, a 1,500-yard passer coming into the game, dropped back to throw, he had Villa Park’s Ellis Williams in his face. The rushing game made little dent, either.

“It was a great game after last week when we gave up 400 yards,” Backstrom said, referring to an uninspiring 28-14 loss to Orange). “There was more emotion, that’s for sure.”

No, El Modena wasn’t sleepwalking Friday, but the Vanguards simply couldn’t run. There was a difference, and it showed on defense.

The Vanguards held Villa Park (7-3) to 18 yards passing and 135 rushing, all but 49 in the second half.

Quarterback A.J. Strapp completed only three of 16 passes for 18 yards, and threw four interceptions. The last interception, by Gavin Brown, ended the Spartans’ final drive at the El Modena 37-yard line with less than a minute left in the game.

“We’ve been waiting for this all year,” Romo said. “The defense hadn’t scored a touchdown all year. Finally we did.”