Fargas Does Number on Muir, 45-20

Justin Fargas was his usual unstoppable self as Notre Dame High rolled to a 45-20 victory over Muir in a Southern Section Division III semifinal Friday night at Pasadena City College.

Fargas, a junior tailback and the region’s rushing leader, ran for 208 yards and three touchdowns in 33 carries, and caught two touchdown passes. But the Knights needed a bit more than the efforts of the player they call “Fargo” to advance to the final for the second time in three years.

Notre Dame (12-1), the Division III champion in 1994, will play the winner of tonight’s Westlake-Camarillo game for the championship next Friday at a site to be determined.

Notre Dame’s defense, for the most part, controlled standout tailback Sultan McCullough, who rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns in 15 carries. McCullough had a 45-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and a nine-yard scoring run in the third quarter, but only managed to break free on a few carries.

The Knights sacked quarterback LaShaun Ward five time for 30 yards in losses and pressured him constantly.

But it was defensive back Adam Boyd who made the game’s biggest play with a third-quarter interception of a Ward pass. Muir (10-3) trailed, 21-14, at the time and appeared to have the momentum.

Boyd’s interception gave the Knights a first down at the Muir 35. On the next play, quarterback Jorge Piedra threw a swing pass to Fargas, who ran 35 yards for a touchdown and a 28-14 lead.

“He just overthrew it,” Boyd said. “He was doing that the whole game. We were looking for that.”

Fargas, who raised his season rushing total to 2,744 yards, had touchdown runs of one and six yards in the first quarter, and caught a 22-yard scoring pass from Piedra to give Notre Dame a 21-0 lead.

“He’s one of the toughest kids we’ve seen in high school football,” Muir co-coach Tony Crutchfield said.

Said Fargas: “They were a tough team to beat. We knew that coming in. But our O-line played great.

“It’s so great to get here. It’s like a dream come true.”

Notre Dame extended its lead to 31-14 early in the fourth quarter with a 34-yard field goal by Patrick Thomsen. Fargas ran one yard for a score and fullback Tom Ricondo added a one-yard touchdown run to close out Notre Dame’s scoring.

Muir scored with three minutes to play on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Ward to Anthony Kelley.

“I was real concerned,” Notre Dame Coach Kevin Rooney said. “They’re the kind of team that can score on any play. It’s good that Adam got that interception because they’re a team that’s done well in the second half this season.”