La Canada Slips Past Hoover With 4th-Quarter Touchdown

This was a game that made up for in excitement what it lacked in execution.

In a sloppily played battle of teams trying for their second win, La Canada High beat Hoover, 17-14, in a nonleague football game Thursday night at Glendale High.

The lead had changed hands four times and Hoover led, 14-11, after three quarters. But on La Canada’s first drive of the fourth quarter, the Spartans moved the ball 80 yards, capping the drive with Seth Ovanespour scoring from seven yards with 7 minutes 33 seconds to play.

La Canada and Hoover entered the game with reputations of throwing at will.

La Canada quarterback Matt Perrigue attempted 37 passes, completing 15 for 181 yards. Perrigue, who earlier in the year threw seven interceptions, threw three against Hoover.

Nate Dishington, Hoover’s quarterback, attempted 36 passes, connecting on 12 to his own receivers and five to Spartan defenders.

The teams combined for only 87 yards rushing. The leader was Ovanespour, who gained 52 yards in nine carries.

On its final possession, Hoover (1-4) moved the ball to the La Canada 41, but the drive ended with John Kendall intercepting a Dishington pass at the La Canada 13.

The first half was exceptionally sloppy. It included six interceptions and more flags than at the United Nations.

The half could be summed up by back-to-back plays in the first quarter. With La Canada (2-3) attempting a punt, Hoover’s Anthony Cascarano blocked the kick.

No one blocked Cascarano because he was the 12th Hoover player on the field.

The penalty gave La Canada a first down. On the next play from scrimmage, Hoover had only 10 players on the field.

In the second quarter, the teams threw interceptions on four consecutive possessions.

It was that kind of a night.

La Canada opened the scoring with a 27-yard field goal by Perrigue.