Nitros lose step in league loss
ARCADIA — Hoping to use a strong, albeit losing, effort against Muir in its Pacific League opener a week ago as a stepping stone to its first league win of the year, the Glendale High football team simply didn’t take that step up on Friday in a frustrating 22-6 loss at Arcadia.
The Nitros offense impressed in flashes behind quarterback Moises Chavez, but mostly just fizzled in the clutch.
Conversely, defense and special teams held strong for most of the game, only to falter in a handful of key situations that allowed the Apaches two big-gain passing touchdowns and another score on a short field enabled by a kick return.
Glendale (3-2, 0-2 in league) scored its first touchdown with 2:10 remaining in the third quarter on a one-yard run by Chavez (14 of 36 passing for 173 yards with two interceptions) to cap a 40-yard drive set up by a Jordan Bradshaw recovery of an Arcadia fumble.
That run made the score 20-6 and Glendale was able to promptly get the ball back at the Arcadia 42-yard line when the Apaches (3-2, 2-0) went three-and-out.
Unfortunately for Glendale, the drive went nowhere and ended on a run for a loss on fourth and three at the Arcadia 35-yard line.
Glendale’s first possession of the fourth quarter ended after a three-and-out and the very next one ended in a safety, when Glendale was flagged for holding in its own end zone.
Glendale amassed just 45 rushing yards in the game and had just 15 at the half, trailing 13-0.
A 59-yard return of the opening kickoff by Arcadia set up a 35-yard touchdown drive ending with Todd Golper’s three-yard run at the 8:51 mark.
On its second possession, Arcadia pulled a touchdown out of a broken play when quarterback Garrett Tuck found Golper with a short pass for a 32-yard touchdown.
Glendale missed a 39-yard field goal attempt as time expired in the half and went down, 20-0, on a 65-yard pass play from Tuck to Golper with 9:14 left in the third.
Running back David Maldonado, in just his second varsity game, gave Glendale problems on the ground. He rushed for 102 yards in 25 carries, extending numerous possessions to keep the Nitros’ offense off the field.
Tuck passed for 162 yards and two scores on 11 of 17 attempts.