Wagner’s Big Game Lifts Amat

There were two valuable lessons learned at La Puente Bishop Amat High Friday night:

1. The game really isn’t over till it’s over.

2. If you are Ayala, keep the ball out of Bishop Amat running back Mike Wagner’s hands whenever possible.

Wagner scored four touchdowns, but it took a touchdown-saving tackle on the three-yard line to preserve Bishop Amat’s 36-29 victory over Chino Hills Ayala before 5,000 at Bishop Amat.

Bishop Amat (4-0) needed the big effort from Wagner. Ayala scored 16 points in the fourth quarter to decrease a 23-point deficit.

Matt Johnson scored on two one-yard runs and Ayala converted a pair of two-point conversions to turn a 36-13 Bishop lead to 36-29 with 3:53 remaining in the game.

Bishop Amat was still in control until Wagner made his only mistake--a fumble with 1:10 remaining at Ayala’s 43-yard line.

Ayala quarterback Mike Frost (14-38, 194 yards) led his team to Bishop Amat’s seven yard line with two seconds remaining.

Frost completed his final pass to Antoine Cameron, who was tackled at the three-yard line by Jason Jones as time expired.

“I knew I had to wrap him up,” Jones said. “I couldn’t let him slip away or the game could have slipped away too.”

Wagner was upset about the only ball he let slip away.

“I almost blew it for us,” he said. “I should have protected the ball better. I didn’t secure it properly.”

Ayala (3-1) should have been known Wagner’s talents. The 5-9, 184-pound junior entered the contest with 670 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.

Maybe Ayala did, but late in the first half the Bulldogs made a big mistake.

Instead of punting away from Wagner, the ball wobbled directly to him at his own 44-yard line.

A zig here, a zag there, and 56 yards later he was crossing the end zone, giving Bishop Amat a 22-7 lead with 1:14 remaining in the first half.

“I haven’t received many punts this year, so I was surprised,” said Wagner, who rushed for 183 yards and three touchdowns in addition to his punt return. “I had great blocking on that return. My teammates cleared a great path for me.”

Wagner scored on runs of eight, four and four yards.