Defense, special teams lead way for Crescenta Valley High football in win over Hoover

GLENDALE — On an evening when the high-flying Crescenta Valley High football team’s offense didn’t contribute a point until the second quarter, the Falcons proved that such a statistical dream scenario was instead a nightmare for visiting Hoover High.

The Falcons tallied three consecutive scores via special teams and defensive touchdowns in the first quarter and romped to a 42-7 Pacific League victory Friday evening at Moyse Field on Crescenta Valley’s homecoming.

“That’s something you never really expect,” Crescenta Valley Coach Paul Schilling said. “You have a certain game plan and then you see something you’re not used to seeing. It was different.”

With the victory, Crescenta Valley improved to 7-0 and 4-0 in league and kept pace with defending league champion Muir (4-3, 4-0).

While Crescenta Valley’s Jordan Lobianco has made a name for himself this season as a defensive back and wide receiver, the senior shined on special teams Friday night.

Lobianco returned two straight punts for touchdowns in the first quarter, the first from 50 yards and the second of the 69-yard variety, to put the Falcons ahead, 14-0, with 7:17 remaining.

“I really don’t know what I’m supposed to say, it was really good blocking,” Lobianco said. “I saw a couple of different openings and I just tried to make a move.”

Crescenta Valley’s defense prevented Lobianco the possibility of returning three straight punts for touchdowns on consecutive drives when senior linebacker Jae Hong intercepted a short pass and returned the pick 12 yards for a touchdown with 6:09 left in the first quarter to put the Falcons ahead, 21-0.

Hong entered Friday’s game with a dubious nickname that he at least proved incorrect for one night.

“Everybody calls me ‘butterfingers,’” Hong said with a laugh afterward. “That’s the joke, so it was great to catch it and score.”

The scores not only gave Crescenta Valley an insurmountable lead, but also meant that by the time Falcons quarterback Brian Gadsby actually took his first snap with 2:53 left in the first quarter, the game was practically over.

Despite that, though, the Falcons’ offense scored on three of five drives in the first half, with Boston Lakin punching in a 13-yard touchdown followed by a knifing 43-yard scoring run from Jonathan Jun.

Up, 35-0, it could be argued that Crescenta Valley’s most spectacular touchdown was its last when Gadsby zipped a 31-yard pass into the end zone to Chase Walker.

The senior wide receiver fought off pass interference and trapped Gadsby’s pass on the back of his defender before grabbing possession just as he hit the floor.

The score came with 4:45 left and put the Falcons up, 42-0.

While the Falcons’ first-team offense had two more possessions before the half, most of the squad sat the entire second half.

Gadsby finished seven for 13 for 116 yards passing with one touchdown, while Lakin hauled in four receptions for 67 yards. Gadsby was replaced by Tyler Reed in the second half, who completed four of six passes for 41 yards.

Despite the halftime score, the Tornadoes (1-6, 0-4) did not quit.

Hoover broke a month-long scoring drought with a one-yard touchdown from quarterback Ryan Williams with 42.7 seconds left in the third quarter.

The touchdown, set up on a 47-yard run from Vaughn Parawan (11 carries for 89 yards), was the first offensive touchdown scored by the Tornadoes since the team’s 26-12 victory over Sotomayor on Sept. 5.

“It doesn’t matter what the scoreboard said, we’re a family and we’re going to keep fighting,” Hoover’s Joshua Lee said.