Advertisement

Los Alamitos Rallies Twice to Beat Hart in Air Show

Share
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Sparks flew in the steady rain Saturday night as quarterbacks Ryan Connors of Hart High and Tim Carey of Los Alamitos combined for 75 passes and 670 yards in a Southern Section Division III semifinal shootout at College of the Canyons.

When the bombardment finally stopped, Los Alamitos had come from behind twice to outshoot Hart, 37-23, and earn the right to play Esperanza in Saturday’s championship game.

Connors, who entered the game with 3,764 yards and 37 touchdowns, completed 32 of 56 passes for 399 yards and two touchdowns. With his 4,163 yards, Connors became the first quarterback in the state to pass for more than 4,000 yards in a season.

Advertisement

Carey, a 6-foot-4, 174-pound junior, completed 13 of 19 for 261 yards and four touchdowns.

The lead changed hands four times, but only once in the second half when Los Alamitos erased a 23-21 deficit with two touchdown passes by Carey and held Hart scoreless despite Connors putting the ball in the damp air 30 times.

Carey hit Jeff Stein with a 53-yard bomb in the third quarter and George Sagen with a 39-yard pass four minutes later.

The game appeared to be in Hart’s control in the early minutes of the second half. But the Indians blew three scoring opportunities in the third quarter that undoubtedly cost them the game.

On the first play of the third quarter, Connors hit Carlos Cardenas with a 56-yard pass to give the Indians (9-4) a first down at the Los Alamitos 16.

The drive went for naught, however, when Connors fielded a bad shotgun snap at the five-yard line on fourth down and was sacked.

Connors threw an interception on Hart’s next possession after the Indians began at the Griffins’ 33-yard line.

Advertisement

Finally, with Hart driving in the quarter’s final minute, tailback Deriek Charles fumbled on a pitchout at the Los Alamitos 15. Charles injured an ankle on the play and did not return.

“We played terrible in the second half,” Hart Coach Mike Herrington said. “There’s nothing to feel good about.”

Said Los Alamitos Coach John Barnes: “We figured it was a tie game at halftime. We were a little tired with their no-huddle stuff in the first half, but we caught our breath in the second half.”

Los Alamitos drove 83 yards in 11 plays to take a 7-0 first-quarter lead. Fullback Alex Lin carried one yard for the score.

The lead changed hands three times in a whirlwind second quarter in which Hart scored 23 points and emerged with only a two-point lead.

Connors dived one yard for a touchdown on the first play of the quarter and Hart trailed, 7-6.

Advertisement

From there, the Griffins went ahead, 14-6, on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Carey to Don Ruberio.

Connors countered with his first touchdown pass, an eight-yard toss to Doug Distaso on fourth down to cap an 11-play, 74-yard drive. Charles ran for a two-point conversion to tie the score, 14-14.

Hart’s Tim Cronk booted a 32-yard field goal to give Hart its first lead, 17-14.

Los Alamitos regained the lead with 49 seconds to play in the half on a four-yard touchdown pass from Carey to George Sagan.

It took Connors only four plays and a pass-interference penalty to give the Indians a 23-21 lead.

Connors, who completed 18 of 26 passes for 191 yards in the half, hit Aron Miyata (25 yards) and Jared Halverson (15) with first-down completions before hitting Davis Delmatoff in the corner of the end zone on a 22-yard play, the final play of the half.

Cronk’s conversion attempt was blocked.

* VILLAGE CHRISTIAN ELIMINATED: C16

Advertisement