Glendale Staves Off Pierce in Pointed Season Finale : Football: Vaqueros win, 57-51. Brahmas’ Muir passes for 530 yards.

There was a time this season when members of the Glendale College football team entertained notions of a division title and perhaps even a bowl appearance.

But when Glendale entertained Pierce Saturday in both teams’ final game, all the Vaqueros were hoping for was a victory.

The got it--barely--behind the rushing of Ilan Zilberman and Hector Valencia, holding off Pierce, 57-51, in a Western State Conference North Division game at Glendale High.

The game was interrupted for 35 minutes late in the fourth quarter when Pierce defensive back Ron McKelvey suffered what appeared to be neck and back injuries in a pileup after the Brahmas recovered a Zilberman fumble. McKelvey, reporting numbness in his extremities, was placed on a stretcher and was taken by ambulance to Glendale Adventist Medical Center where he was undergoing tests late Saturday night.

“He bent over and a landslide of players hit his head,” Pierce Coach Bill Norton said. “He was moving his feet and hands; the feeling was coming back. I think he’s going to be OK.”

Zilberman gained 219 yards in 33 and scored on runs of two, one, four and two yards for Glendale (5-5 overall, 4-5 in WSC play). Valencia gained 182 yards in 22 carries and had touchdown runs of one and three yards.

Both backs recorded season-high yardage totals against the WSC’s worst rushing defense.

Zilberman also returned an onside kick 47 yards for a touchdown.

“I’d love to have gone to a bowl game,” Zilberman said. “Stuff just didn’t go our way.”

David Muir completed 36 of 57 passes for a season-high 530 yards and six touchdowns for Pierce (2-8, 2-7).

Jibri Hodge had 13 receptions for a season-high 284 yards. Cedrick Meadows caught eight passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns, and Iman Mohtashemi added eight receptions for 79 yards and three touchdowns.

Pierce, which never led, had one final chance after Raphael Zavala recovered Zilberman’s fumble at the Glendale 44-yard line with 19 seconds remaining.

But, after the delay due to McKelvey’s injury, Muir was sacked. He threw an incomplete pass as time expired.