Crescenta Valley Wins With Plan B

Crescenta Valley High has one of the top passing attacks in the region.

So Arcadia had every reason to expect more of the same entering its Pacific League showdown on Thursday night against the Falcons.

But Crescenta Valley had a surprise ready for the Apaches.

The Falcons came out running from the start and rarely altered the game plan in a 31-24 victory over Arcadia at Arcadia High.

That sets up a probable three-way tie for first place in the Pacific League.

If Muir defeats Pasadena tonight, it will be the second year in a row that the Mustangs have tied for first place with Crescenta Valley and Arcadia. But Muir would be the league’s No. 1 team for the playoffs and the Falcons No. 2 because of coin flips.

Crescenta Valley Coach Alan Eberhart said he knew his team could run against the Apaches (6-4, 4-1) after watching them on film.

“We knew they’d sit back and wait for the pass,” Eberhart said. “We knew we could run the ball.”

The Falcons (9-1, 3-1) might have tipped their hand when they ran on nine of their first 10 plays.

They opened a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, scoring on a three-yard run by Jason Hogan and an 11-yard pass from Hudson Gossard to Jason Burkhart, and never trailed.

Hogan, who entered the game with 60 receptions, had 128 yards and two touchdowns in 22 carries. It was only the second game this season that Crescenta Valley has had a player rush for more than 100 yards.

Hogan also had three catches for 40 yards.

“We know what he can do and people don’t understand how durable of a football player he is,” Eberhart said.

Arcadia does now.

The Falcons received another impressive performance by Gossard.

While it wasn’t his usual passing numbers, he completed 13 of 16 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns.

He had 76 yards in nine carries.

Arcadia pulled to within seven points on a 36-yard field goal by David Grams with 3:16 remaining and had one last scoring chance after Brian Golper recovered an on-side kick on the ensuing kickoff.

Crescenta Valley wrapped up the victory when Dan Morales sacked the Arcadia quarterback on fourth down at the Falcon 45.

“They had a good game and they executed very well the entire game,” Arcadia Coach Jon Dimalante said. “I give them all of the credit.”