Spartans Take Wild Ride to Title, 50-48

The Century League title showdown between Villa Park and Santa Ana featured a little bit of everything, and a whole lot of offense.

There was more than 1,000 yards of offense. There were fake punts, long kickoff returns, long runs and even longer touchdown bombs. There were even some last-minute defensive stands.

When Villa Park junior defensive back Brian Arguello knocked down Santa Ana Valley’s final, fourth-and-five pass near the Falcon 45 with 59 seconds remaining, only then could the Spartans begin celebrating a 50-48 victory Thursday at El Modena High School.

Villa Park quarterback John Henry Jackson completed 17 of 21 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns and Marquis Colvin rushed for 204 yards and four touchdowns to help the Spartans rally from a 13-point deficit with 6 1/2 minutes remaining.

With 3 minutes 42 seconds to play, Arguello, who caught eight passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns, turned a third-and-24 situation into a 62-yard touchdown reception from Jackson to make it 50-48.

“It was a post pattern and maybe we caught them sleeping,” Arguello said. “I just caught it, broke a tackle and took off. It’s all a blur to me.”

Santa Ana Valley had one final chance to win, getting the ball back on its own 20 with 1:48 remaining. But quarterback Mike Guerrero, who completed 16 of 22 passes for 309 yards and four second-half touchdowns, had his final three passes fall incomplete.

Defending league champ Villa Park improved to 8-2, 5-0 in league. Santa Ana Valley (8-2, 4-1) was trying to win its first league title since 1995.

The Falcons were also playing without starting wide receiver and defensive back Aaron Barragan, who has 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. Barragan sat out with a knee injury, but Santa Ana Valley’s offense didn’t appear hampered.

In the first half, 5-foot-10, 205-pound sophomore running back Israel Zepeda pounded Villa Park for 93 yards and three touchdowns in 19 carries, keeping the Falcons within 28-21 at halftime. He finished with 136 yards in 27 carries and returned two kickoffs for 89 yards.

And the second half belonged to Guerrero, who completed his first 11 passes of the half and had scoring passes of 16, 34, 53 and 56 yards.

Guerrero’s 56-yard touchdown pass to Eliu Fatu, who had three catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns, put Santa Ana Valley up, 48-35, with 6:32 remaining.

“I thought it was going to be Santa Ana Valley’s night,” Villa Park Coach Pat Mahoney said. “But our kids never quit.”

Colvin, who was battling the flu, broke off left tackle for a 44-yard touchdown run to make it 48-42 with 6:12 remaining.

Santa Ana Valley was pinned at its own six after a botched kickoff return, and Santa Ana Valley punter Maurice Dunning ended up taking a safety to make it 48-44 with 5:15 remaining. The free kick set up Arguello’s heroics.