Whittier Christian’s 6-2 Victory More Than Satisfying

The Whittier Christian Heralds (0-9-1 last season) ventured into East Los Angeles Saturday night, hungry for the taste of victory that had escaped them for so long.

After a defensive struggle with host Salesian, the Heralds were able to satisfy their hunger, when junior fullback Josh Loera scored on a one-year plunge, giving Whittier Christian a 6-2 victory at Roosevelt High School.

After a scoreless first half, the Heralds broke through on a 10-play, 75-yard drive that featured a 30-yard pass completion from senior quarterback Andrei Roudenko to senior wide-out Jason McCleary.

McCleary’s catch put the ball at the Mustangs’ 45-yard line. Senior Nick Valdez then went to work, carrying the ball six times for 39 yards. Valdez, who had 106 yards in 23 carries Saturday night, narrowly missed scoring when the Mustangs stopped him at the one.

The Mustangs scored a safety with 6:53 remaining, when senior linebacker Jose Esparza tackled Loera in the end zone. Salesian was without running back Andre Benavidez, who re-injured himself in practice. He rushed for 600 yards in six games before getting hurt last season.

Coach Tom Caffrey credited his defense, which held Salesian to 66 yards total offense--18 in the first half. The Heralds recorded six sacks for minus 29 yards. Junior linebacker Karl Duffy had four sacks.

Afterward, Caffrey said, “It’s a win and the first win is always hard to get.”