Crescenta Valley football clinches outright league title with win over Arcadia
GLENDALE — Some things aren’t forgotten.
The Crescenta Valley High football team remembered what happened in last season’s Pacific League showdown against Arcadia, and in the Falcons’ regular-season finale against the Apaches at Moyse Field on Thursday, it was a chance to cap off an unbeaten season with a payback.
The game started with an Apaches’ fumble recovered for a Crescenta Valley touchdown, and the Falcons never looked back.
Crescenta Valley secured the Pacific League title outright — its first title since 2016 — with a 39-0 victory against Arcadia and concluded the regular season with an 10-0 overall record.
“They have been unreal,” said Crescenta Valley first-year coach Hudson Gossard of his team’s defense. “It continued again tonight. The way we start that game puts them in a hole and gives us a little boost. It was just a great way to start. All they’ve done is come in week-in-and-week-out and played amazing all season.”
It is the fifth unbeaten Crescenta Valley team in program history, and the first undefeated team since 2014, when the Falcons were crowned league and CIF Southern Section Southeast Division champions.
Along with the fumble returned for a touchdown from lineman Logan Tourville, the Falcons defense held the Apaches offense to just 45 yards of offense.
“It’s just good coaching and better teammates,” said Tourville, as the Falcons held four teams scoreless this season. “We’re very close. We’re like a family. We spend all week studying film and learning what they have. We don’t let them get anything.”
In his first-ever start, quarterback Brendon Pehar replaced starter Chase Center, who sustained a knee injury in the Falcons’ 28-14 win against John Muir last week. The junior finished seven of 13 passing with one touchdown.
Falcons running back James Cho scored two touchdowns in 19 carries for 138 yards and Sebastian DeLeon added a two-yard scoring run and caught a five-yard touchdown pass.
“I was just anxious to get out here and get going,” Pehar said. “But pressure, no. I had to trust in my receivers and my line that we could get it done. And we did.”
The majority of the Falcons’ points were scored in the first quarter.
Tourville’s fumble return gave the Falcons a 7-0 lead at 10:56 in the first, and Crescenta Valley followed with a five-yard touchdown catch from DeLeon for a 14-0 lead with 4:49.
Crescenta Valley took advantage of an Arcadia muffed punt with a two-yard run from DeLeon for a 21-0 advantage with 3:06 in the first.
In a span of two plays, Falcons defensive back PJ Weinmann forced a safety and Cho scored on a 54-yard touchdown run for a 29-0 advantage with 1:18 left. The Falcons closed out the half with a 35-yard field goal from Anthony Sharlakian to make it 32-0.
Cho capped the Falcons scoring with a 31-yard touchdown run with 10:54 left, before Angel Ochoa intercepted Arcadia quarterback Michael Hillier’s pass to seal the game with 5:10 remaining.