GAME OF THE WEEK : Last-Minute Heroics Put Garfield Over the Top, 26-21 : East L.A. Classic: TD pass with 46 seconds left sends Roosevelt down to defeat before 25,000 at Weingart Stadium.

Garfield High has bragging rights in East Los Angeles for one more year, thanks to the last-minute heroics of Braulio De La Torre and David Guerra.

De La Torre caught a seven-yard touchdown pass from Guerra with 46 seconds left to give Garfield a 26-21 win over Roosevelt in the 22nd annual East Los Angeles Classic before an overflow crowd Friday of about 25,000 at Weingart Stadium.

“It feels great to be a hero because this is the biggest rivalry in East Los Angeles,” De La Torre said.

Garfield used a strong third quarter in an effort to put Roosevelt away.

Quarterback David Villalobos culminated an 11-play, 68-yard drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to De La Torre to open up the third quarter. De La Torre had four receptions for 57 yards and two touchdowns in the game.

On Garfield’s next possession, Villalobos guided the Bulldogs to the Roosevelt one-yard line before injuring his knee on a scramble. Guerra, a transfer from El Rancho, came in to lead the offense.

Running back Armando Figueroa, who rushed for 94 yards in 17 carries, then scored his second touchdown on a one-yard run to give Garfield a 19-14 lead.

Roosevelt reclaimed the lead, 21-19, when senior quarterback Frank Madrid scored on his second touchdown run with four minutes left in the game.

“I thought it was over after that,” said Madrid, who rushed for 31 yards in 10 carries.

Coming into the game, Roosevelt’s primary concern was whether its offense would be able to move the ball. The Roughriders had not scored against Garfield in the past two Classics and were coming off a 46-0 loss to Fremont.

But Madrid had been out for two weeks with a twisted right ankle, and he made an immediate impact in his return, marching Roosevelt to a touchdown on its opening drive. Madrid capped an 11-play sequence with a 15-yard touchdown run to put Roosevelt up 6-0.

Garfield succumbed to the big-game pressure early on as Figueroa and De La Torre both fumbled the ball away. Roosevelt turned De La Torre’s turnover into six points when Madrid hit Jose Soria for a 12-yard touchdown pass.

Garfield likewise benefited on a Madrid fumble that was recovered by the Bulldogs at the Roosevelt 32. Three plays later, Figueroa scored from two yards out to make the score 14-7 at the half.

Friday’s game was the 58th meeting between the schools.