2nd-Quarter Explosion Keeps Glendale Unbeaten in Northern Division Play

Glendale College rallied for 27 points in the second quarter and coasted to a 37-10 victory over host Harbor on Saturday night in a Western State Conference Northern Division game.

The Vaqueros improved to 8-1, 7-1 in conference play and 4-0 in the division. The victory also sets up this week’s long-awaited showdown with Moorpark in the final conference game. Harbor, which started the season with six wins, dropped to 6-3, 5-3 and 1-3.

Glendale quarterback Eric Kiesau, who entered the game as the conference’s second-leading passer, completed 16 of 25 for 277 yards and three touchdowns. Kiesau burned the Harbor secondary for 150 of the Vaqueros’ 177 passing yards in the second quarter and the Seahawks never recovered.

Harbor running back Troy Cain broke a 3-3 tie with a six-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter, but Glendale scored four unanswered touchdowns before halftime to take a comfortable 30-10 lead into intermission.

Harbor, which has been plagued by injuries the past three weeks, looked anything but suffering in the first quarter, scoring on its first two drives, both of which began at the 20.

But then the wheels fell off. Harbor committed four turnovers in the second and third quarters, with Glendale capitalizing on two for touchdowns.

Then it got worse. The Seahawks’ growing frustrations played themselves out in the form of seven penalties, including several for unsportsmanlike conduct, for 97 yards in the fourth quarter.

Glendale running back Pathon Rucker tied the score, 10-10, on a six-yard touchdown to start the second quarter. Rucker had 75 yards in 13 carries.

After Glendale lineman Greg Garrison recovered a fumble on the Seahawks’ first play of the ensuing possession, the potent Vaquero offense went back to work.

On the first play, running back Andy Cleland took a pitch, rolled right and threw a 27-yard strike to wide receiver Angel Martinez, which gave Glendale its first lead, 17-10.

Martinez, a 5-foot-9, 161-pound sophomore from Saugus High, was open all night. Less than five minutes later, Martinez hauled in a 46-yard touchdown pass from Kiesau. Martinez finished with a game-high six catches for 126 yards.