On the Run, Monroe Advances on a Pass

Monroe High believes in running the ball.

On first, second, third and fourth down. If there was such a thing as a fifth down, you could bet on the fullback dive.

But the Vikings needed Aaron Arnold’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Kenyatta Burris with four seconds left to stun Bell, 25-22, in the City Section 3-A quarterfinals Wednesday night at Bell.

Monroe drove 74 yards for the winning touchdown in 2 minutes 24 seconds, with Arnold and Burris accounting for 47 of the yards on five pass plays.

“I didn’t want to go out with a loss,” said Burris, who finished with 10 receptions for 120 yards. “I want it all this year.”

The sixth-seeded Vikings (9-3) travel to second-seeded Reseda for a semifinal matchup a week from tomorrow.

Third-seeded Bell (5-6-1), which won the 3-A title last season, overturned a 19-7 deficit with a strong third quarter.

Quarterback Robert Austin capped a pair of drives with one-yard keepers to put the Eagles ahead, 22-19.

But the Vikings weren’t going to be grounded.

Burris, who also scored on a 15-yard slant pattern in the second quarter and returned the second-half kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown, beat double coverage on a corner pattern and made a diving catch in the end zone.

“Kenyatta’s the best I’ve seen,” Monroe Coach Fred Cuccia said. “No doubt in my mind. I wouldn’t trade him for any receiver around.”

Vern Benard ate up the Vikings by gaining 110 yards in 21 carries, but Monroe’s ground game, which leads area City teams in rushing yards with its Veer attack, was nothing to sneeze at.

Vinny Walker ran for 77 yards in 17 carries and Arnold had 85 yards in eight carries, including a 61-yard option keeper that opened the scoring on Monroe’s third offensive play of the game.

Jason Anderson, who was nursing a sore ankle, gained 31 yards in nine carries.

Arnold completed 14 of 23 passes for 170 yards and the two touchdowns to Burris.

The Vikings allowed 349 yards, but were impressive in the fourth quarter, when they forced Bell to punt the ball away twice.

Said Cuccia: “The defense came up big when it had to.”

So did Burris.