Sylmar Turns Tricky Against San Pedro

It took almost every trick in the book to dethrone San Pedro High, the two-time defending City Section football champion.

Sylmar tight end George Wrighster caught a bounced lateral from quarterback Noah Albiston and threw a pass to a wide-open Corey Neal to complete a 59-yard touchdown play that gave Sylmar a 21-17 victory over San Pedro Thursday night in the first round of the Championship Division playoffs at Sylmar.

“It really was a miracle,” Sylmar Coach Jeff Engilman said.

Sylmar, which won championships in 1992 and ‘94, will play host to Wilmington Banning, a 56-0 winner Thursday over Roosevelt, in a quarterfinal Wednesday.

Fourth-seeded Sylmar had a fumblerooski that went for a touchdown called back and also executed an onside kick.

San Pedro Coach Mike Walsh said he tried to call a time out before the bounce pass because he knew the play was coming but apparently no one heard him.

“Sometimes fate goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t,” Walsh said.