HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : Bad Bounces Undermine Verdugo Hills

The bouncing ball told the story for Verdugo Hills High on Wednesday night.

And thanks to some sudden sloppiness, the Dons were bounced right out of the City Section 3-A Division playoffs, losing, 25-7, to Eagle Rock at Occidental College.

Top-seeded Eagle Rock (10-2) scored three consecutive second-half touchdowns to overcome a 7-6 deficit.

But the Eagles also had a little help from Verdugo Hills (7-5).

Four plays after quarterback Red Navarrette connected with Ismael Lagunas for a 48-yard touchdown pass play to give Eagle Rock a 12-7 lead late in the third quarter, the Eagles’ Jose Lopez blocked Alex Trevino’s punt at the Dons’ 27-yard line and both players scrambled for the loose ball.

Trevino caught up to it at the 15, then kicked and batted the ball into the end zone, where Jorge Molina recovered for an Eagle Rock touchdown.

“Every time the ball is inside the 10, I’m supposed to knock it out of the end zone,” said Trevino, who scored the Dons’ only touchdown on a 43-yard reception in the third quarter. “I could have sworn the ball was near the end zone.”

On the ensuing kickoff, Sean Standley fumbled the ball away at the Verdugo Hills 36. That led to a three-yard touchdown run by Marco Hernandez and a 25-7 lead.

“I was just trying to run with it too fast,” said Standley, who rushed for 74 yards in 21 carries. “I blew it.”

It was the second loss to Eagle Rock this season for Verdugo Hills, which last week posted its first playoff victory in 15 years. Eagle Rock last week won its first playoff game in 37 years.

Eagle Rock defeated Verdugo Hills in October, 14-7.

“The ball didn’t bounce our way tonight,” Verdugo Hills Coach Don Scott Jr. said. “But we had a season this school hasn’t had in 15 years.”

Trevino, who missed a 34-yard field-goal attempt in the first quarter, hauled in a sideline pass from quarterback Ethan Slimak at the 10 and avoided a defender to make his way into the end zone in the third quarter. Trevino’s extra point gave the Dons’ their only lead.

Slimak completed 12 of 23 passes for 126 yards. Seven completions went to split end Charlie Coronado for 61 yards.

Eagle Rock had taken a 6-0 lead in the final seconds of the first half on a flea-flicker in which Navarrette completed a 59-yard pass play to Elliot Lozano.

Lagunas earlier had missed a 44-yard field-goal attempt for Eagle Rock as the teams battled for field position in the first half.

Trevino, who finished with two receptions for 50 yards, battled tears in the end. So did many of his teammates.

“The coach told us to hold our heads up,” Trevino said. “No one expected us to be here this year, so we have something to be proud about.”