HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ROUNDUP : Smith’s Touchdown Count Reaches 36 in Montclair Prep Win

Montclair Prep senior running back Wilbert Smith rushed for 235 yards in 27 carries and two touchdowns to lead the Mounties to a 34-8 nonleague victory over Verbum Dei at Valley College on Saturday night.

Smith, who scored on runs of four and two yards, has 36 touchdowns this year.

Akil Anderson gained 63 yards in eight carries and scored a touchdown for Montclair Prep (9-0).

With the score at 8-8 late in the first quarter, Demetris Green caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Darrell Dent to give the Mounties the lead for good. Dent completed six of 16 for 138 yards.

Verbum Dei (4-5) was led by quarterback Andre Miller, who completed six of 21 passes for 78 yards and three interceptions. The Mounties held Verbum Dei to 130 yards in offense, 52 rushing and 78 passing.

Montclair Prep linebacker Mario Alonso returned an interception 45 yards to set up Smith’s first touchdown run midway through the second quarter.

Linebacker Darren Neishuler and Dent, playing defensive back, had the other two interceptions for the Mounties.

Oak Park 13, Santa Clara 0--Junior quarterback Ron Allen threw for one touchdown and junior running back Ryan Johnson rushed for another to lead the Eagles (5-3-1) at Rio Mesa High.

With the game scoreless early in the third quarter, defensive end Matt Menzie blocked a Santa Clara punt deep in Oak Park territory. The Eagles drove 75 yards in eight plays, culminating with Allen’s 25-yard pass to Andrew Ewald.

Allen completed five of 10 for 56 yards.

After linebacker Robby Proffer sacked Santa Clara’s Juan Diego Hernandez on the final play of the third quarter, the Eagles drove 63 yards in seven plays, ending with Johnson’s two-yard scoring run. Johnson finished with 63 yards in seven carries.

The Saints, who outgained the Eagles, 192-183, were led by Paul Soliz, who had 89 yards in 20 carries. Santa Clara’s best scoring opportunity came early in the second quarter, when the Saints marched to the Oak Park 13. But a 30-yard field-goal attempt by Soliz was blocked.

Pasadena 32, Hoover 8--Defensive back Addison Hawthorne scored on a 37-yard fumble recovery to lead the host Bulldogs on a 26-point third-quarter blitz in a Pacific League game at Pasadena City College. Earlier, Hawthorne’s 46-yard interception return set up the first Pasadena score of the second half.

Hoover averted a shutout when quarterback Alan Lau completed a 16-yard pass to Chris Butler late in the game. The touchdown snapped an 11-quarter scoring drought.

Lau completed 14 of 25 passes for 132 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Hoover was held to minus-three yards rushing.

Marshall 34, Verdugo Hills 0--In a game that featured 319 yards in penalties and five ejections, senior quarterback Ivan Magana completed six of 19 for 184 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown play to Carlos Ortiz to lead the visiting Barristers (3-5-1, 3-2-1) to a Northern Conference victory.

Edwin Sagastume put Marshall comfortably ahead on a nine-yard run with 4:30 remaining in the second quarter that made the score 17-0.

The Dons (1-8, 1-5) had 100 yards of offense. Running back Greg Martin accounted for 47 of those yards in 12 carries. Quarterback David Bryant completed five of 12 passes for 40 yards. Bryant threw one interception.

Bell-Jeff 13, Salesian 7--Albert Alvarez caught a 27-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds to play as Bell-Jeff (1-7-1) won its first game of the season at Wilson High. The winning score was fueled by a pass-interference call that moved the ball from Salesian’s 40-yard line to the 25.

Two plays later, junior quarterback Rich Szeptcki connected with Alvarez.

Bell-Jeff held the Mustangs (2-4-2) to only 192 yards. Salesian opened the scoring on its first possession with quarterback Jeff Martinez finding Javier Rios on a 31-yard pass play. Martinez completed five of 10 passes for 82 yards.

Bishop Diego 41, St. Bonaventure 8--Michael Hayes scored three first-half touchdowns and made 17 tackles, leading the Cardinals (6-3, 3-0) to the Tri-Valley League victory at San Marcos High.

Hayes ran for 94 yards in nine carries, including touchdown runs of 55 and eight yards. The senior running back/defensive back also caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Greg Van Wyk.

Van Wyk completed eight of 14 passes for 165 yards and opened the scoring on a one-yard quarterback sneak. Jon Barrios got Bishop Diego’s other touchdowns on one- and two-yard runs in the second half.

The Cardinals (6-3, 3-0) lost their chance at a shutout on a third-quarter safety when a snap sailed over the head of punter Manny Marquez. St. Bonaventure (2-7, 0-3) got its touchdown on Chris Mendez’s 9-yard kickoff return.

St. Genevieve 46, La Salle 13--Running back Omar Gutierrez combined with brothers Joseph and Alex Muller to lead the Valiants in a Santa Fe League game at La Canada High, setting up a Thursday-night showdown for the league title with Murphy.

Gutierrez led all rushers with 135 yards in 13 carries, including touchdowns of three and 29 yards. Alex Muller, a senior quarterback, completed nine of 10 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns--both to his brother Joe, a junior wide receiver. Alex Muller also ran one yard for a score.

The Valiants (7-2, 4-0) finished with 407 yards of offense, making 20 first downs without having to punt. The Lancers (0-8, 0-4) were held to 60 yards, due in part to a breakdown in their punting. They lost 52 yards on two consecutive punts because of bad snaps. Both led to St. Genevieve touchdowns.