PREP FOOTBALL ROUNDUP : From the Start, Sharkey Sparks Calvary Chapel to Victory

They came into the game with the two most devastating scoring machines in the Arrowhead League, so it figured that a little defense would go a long way when Calvary Chapel and host Southern California Christian met for the league title Saturday night at Brea-Olinda High School.

That it did, with Calvary Chapel performing the task a tad better for a 19-14 victory and its first league championship in only its second year of varsity football. The Eagles (9-1, 6-0 in league) finished third last season.

Quarterback Jason Sharkey was the catalyst for Calvary Chapel, completing 24 of 37 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns. The senior began the night with eight consecutive completions on his team’s first series.

“Jason Sharkey is a college quarterback,” Calvary Chapel Coach Kris Van Hook said. “The guy is a great quarterback.”

Sharkey drove the Eagles 76 yards on 13 plays in the game’s first series and combined with tight end Jake Guild on a four-yard pass play for a touchdown with 7 minutes 3 seconds to play in the first quarter. Sharkey had completions of 11, 20 and 10 yards on the drive.

Southern California Christian (8-2, 5-1) pulled within one point about two minutes later on a 15-yard touchdown run by running back Mike Jacot but a two-point conversion attempt by Dennis Amundson failed.

Jacot, who entered the game with 1,439 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns, was limited to 53 yards in 11 carries. Amundson, the other half of the potent one-two Southern California Christian punch, gained 41 yards in eight carries before leaving the game at halftime because of the flu. Amundson, who came into the game with 756 rushing yards, did score the last Flame touchdown on a nine-yard run late in the second quarter and the two-point conversion, but by then Calvary Chapel had scored all its points.

Those came in the second quarter on a 30-yard pass from Sharkey to wide receiver Gilbert Murillo, who caught the ball in the end zone despite being tipped by a defender, and on a three-yard run by Kenny Alma.

Both teams had been pummeling opponents all season, particularly in the past few games. Calvary Chapel had scored 262 points in its last six games and Southern California Christian 224 in its last four. Still, Van Hook thought it would be a low-scoring game.

“I figured it would take about three touchdowns to win,” Van Hook said. “Our defense was unbelievable.”

In a nonleague game:

Santa Margarita 28, Elsinore 0--Josh Ireland had 115 yards in 20 caries for two touchdowns to lead Santa Margarita (6-3-1) over Elsinore (1-9). Ireland is 20 yards shy of 4,000 career rushing yards. Quarterback Sean O’Brien threw for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Brad Finneranalso added 56 yards in receptions.

In an eight-man football game:

Victor Valley Christian 52, Liberty Christian 40--Jeremy Anderson scored three touchdowns and Gabe Baltodano rushed for 152 yards in 16 carries for Liberty Christian (7-3) in a first-round playoff loss to Victor Valley Christian (6-4).

Baltodano scored on a 60-yard touchdown run to tie the score, 40-40, heading into the fourth quarter. But the Minutemen committed two turnovers in the fourth quarter, which led to Victor Valley Christian’s winning touchdowns.