Reseda Cuts Off Narbonne at Pass

Narbonne High’s two-point conversion pass fell short in the final minute, enabling Reseda High to escape with a 21-19 victory in a first-round City Division playoff game Thursday at Narbonne.

Jonathan Smith scored on a 37-yard pass play from Sean Nelson with 47 seconds left. But Nelson’s conversion pass intended for Smith fell incomplete.

“We gave them a chance there at the end,” Reseda Coach Joel Schaeffer said. “They were smelling blood.”

Reseda (7-4) extended a 14-13 lead when Patrick Evangelista returned the kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown. Kevin Bush’s third extra point gave the Regents a 21-13 lead with 54 seconds left in the third quarter.

Quarterback Skyler McKnight of Reseda rushed for 63 yards in 16 carries, including a 25-yard touchdown in the second quarter, and completed all four of his passes for 58 yards.

Reseda drove 80 yards in 10 plays on the game’s opening possession, capped by a four-yard run by Joseph Looney. The senior fullback finished with 75 yards rushing in 12 carries.

Narbonne (4-7) answered on its first possession, moving 60 yards in only two plays to score on a 39-yard run by Smith, who finished with 108 yards in 17 carries.

Reseda regained the lead in the second quarter on McKnight’s touchdown run, two plays after Raul Cardona recovered a Narbonne fumble at midfield.

Marcus Jackson ran 76 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter to pull Narbonne to within 14-13.