Van Nuys Runs Over Verdugo Hills With Mack Truck

It seemed Carlos Mack and his Van Nuys High teammates didn’t feel like playing.

Mack, a senior running back, had only three yards in his first five carries.

The Wolves were down by two touchdowns at halftime, with 41 yards of offense and 40 yards in penalties against Verdugo Hills in a second-round, City Section 3-A playoff game Wednesday night at Kennedy High.

Then, Van Nuys hit Verdugo Hills with the ultimate sucker punch.

The Wolves scored three touchdowns on three second-half possessions to win, 20-14.

Mack, a 5-foot-9, 155-pound speedster, had all three touchdowns, the winning score coming with 34 seconds left. He finished with 119 yards in 23 carries.

“There were just no holes in the first half,” Mack said. “But I thank my offensive line for doing a good job in second half.”

Oddly, Mack got most of his 116 second-half yards by running straight at the Dons.

“We got beat at our own game,” said Verdugo Hills running back Sean Standley, choking back tears. “They came out and played smash-mouth in the second half and put us on our heels.

“We’ve never had a team challenge us like that, physically, and I think it scared us.”

Standley rushed for 131 yards in 29 carries.

Verdugo Hills (7-5) seemed to be in control at halftime with the 6-1 senior running up the middle.

Standley opened the scoring in the first quarter with a two-yard run that followed a fumble by Van Nuys (8-4). He scored on a 17-yard sweep in the second quarter to make it 14-0.

Van Nuys’ performance in the first half was certainly not what one would envision for a team in the second round of the playoffs.

The Wolves were penalized four times, twice for having 12 men on the field during punt returns. Both penalties resulted in first downs for Verdugo Hills.

A third flag, a five-yard encroachment penalty, came with Verdugo Hills lined up on fourth and two at the Wolves’ 27-yard line. Three plays later, Standley scored his second touchdown.

Van Nuys’ two first downs came on runs of 11 and 14 yards by quarterback Robert Williamson.

But the Wolves strung together six first downs on an 83-yard, 13-play drive in the third quarter and cut the lead to 14-7 on a five-yard run by Mack.

Then Van Nuys moved 61 yards following a Dons’ punt, with Mack scoring on an 11-yard sweep with 4:58 left in the game.

Van Nuys tried a two-point conversion, but Mack was stopped and Verdugo Hills led, 14-13.

The Wolves got the ball back with 3:40 left on a fumble by Andre Cole following a 14-yard completion. Alex Aguilar recovered.

Van Nuys moved 67 yards in 10 plays, which included a 26-yard run by Mack and a 17-yard pass from Williamson to Val Landeros.

On third and five from the seven, Mack went up the middle to score.