Banged-Up Villa Park Tops Canyon

Villa Park found enough replacement parts Friday night to successfully begin its drive for the Century League football championship.

The Spartans entered their league opener against Canyon without returning all-league running back Ryan Tsui, who was still recovering from a torn hamstring. Tsui’s replacement, Grant Pearsall, was limping noticeably with a sore left ankle.

What’s more, the Spartans’ best defensive player, linebacker Sean Durante, sat out with a pinched nerve in his neck and a fractured thumb.

But somehow Villa Park had enough in reserve to gain an 8-6 victory in front of a homecoming crowd of 3,000 at El Modena’s Fred Kelly Stadium.

The difference in the defensive struggle was a high snap that sailed over Canyon punter Casey Wilson’s head and deep into Villa Park territory. Wilson kicked the errant snap beyond the end line in Villa Park’s end zone for a safety with 19 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

The poor snap gave Villa Park (4-2, 1-0) its first lead of the game, 8-6, and proved to be just enough to lift the wounded Spartans into first place in the six-team league.

“When you consider the physical condition of our team, I’m more than happy with this victory,” Villa Park Coach Pat Mahoney said. “I thought keeping Grant out of contact drills in practice the past week would give him time to heal, but he forgot to tape his ankle on Tuesday and he wasn’t gotten any better.”

Pearsall, who entered the game as the county’s leading scorer with 13 touchdowns, was held scoreless for the first time this season. He gained 60 yards in 21 carries but limped through most of the game with a sore left ankle.

All Villa Park could manage against Canyon’s defense was a pair of field goals by Jeremy Bently. Bently kicked a 39-yarder in the second quarter and added a 22-yarder in the third quarter.

Canyon (4-2, 0-1) was considered by most to be a legitimate contender for the league title for the first time in years. The Comanches’ defense, led by end Kent Miller, was impressive but their inconsistency offensively proved to be their downfall.

Quarterback Gunnar Strunz started quickly by leading the Comanches on a 70-yard drive with the opening kickoff, scoring the game’s only touchdown on a one-yard keeper. But Strunz was also sacked four times and threw one pass that was intercepted.

Strunz missed the second half in Canyon’s 14-9 loss to Estancia with a hip pointer last week but had 144 yards passing in a losing cause this week.