Football: Behind Boron's miracle comeback

There was no way Boron was going to win this game. No way.

The Bobcats trailed host Kern Valley, 35-22, with 5 minutes, 26 seconds left Friday night after stumbling through much of the second and third quarters. They had one drive end at the Broncs' 5-yard line when they ran out of time at the end of the first half. Another drive was thwarted when Kern Valley intercepted a pass at its own goal line.

Boron wanted to win -- had to win -- for Vinnie Rodriguez, the sophomore running back and safety who died Tuesday from head injuries sustained in a game four days earlier. But things weren't working out that way. In fact, Boron fumbled midway through the fourth quarter immediately after one player yelled, "This is for Vinnie! Come on!"

Then an unusual confluence of events unfolded. Bobcats receiver Joshua Glass made a tricky catch in traffic to convert a third down. Quarterback Josh Core connected with Jason Hartman for a 7-yard touchdown pass. And on the extra point, the ball hit the crossbar, bounced high into the air and somehow tumbled over the bar with maybe an inch to spare.

Even so, all Kern Valley had to do was run the final 2:21 off the clock.

Football: Behind the new rankings

Here's a sneak peek at the rankings that will appear in Monday's paper with comments on team movement below the jump:

1. Long Beach Poly (2-0)

2. Corona Centennial (2-0)

3. Crespi (3-0)

4. Mission Viejo (3-0)

5. Mater Dei (2-1)

6. St. Bonaventure (3-0)

7. Servite (2-1)

8. SO Notre Dame (2-0)

9. Oaks Christian (3-0)

10. Redlands East Valley (2-0)

11. Edison (3-0)

12. Los Osos (2-0)

13. Bishop Amat (2-1)

14. Upland (3-0)

15. Loyola (2-1)

16. Orange Lutheran (2-1)

17. Los Alamitos (2-0)

18. Lakewood (3-0)

19. Rancho Verde (3-0)

20. Corona Santiago (1-1)

21. Chaparral (1-1)

22. Tesoro (3-0)

23. St. John Bosco (3-0)

24. Serra (3-0)

25. Palmdale (2-0)

Football: Saturday's scores

CITY
8 MAN
NONLEAGUE
Annenberg 46, Vaughn 0
Community Harvest 66, Discovery Prep 30

INTERSECTIONAL
SOUTHERN SECTION
NONLEAGUE
Animo Leadership 14, St. Monica 7
Big Bear 41, Beaumont 13
Chadwick 63, Firebaugh 26

Football: De La Salle pulls out victory

The mystique of De La Salle continues. Loyola did almost everything it needed to do Saturday night at Glendale High, but De La Salle somehow pulled out a 27-21 victory.

The Cubs ran off nearly eight minutes of time in the fourth quarter while nursing a 21-19 lead. They faced a fourth-and-eight situation from the 16-yard line. Then came the most unlikely of plays.

Kicker Mauricio Alfonso was short on a 33-yard field-goal attempt, and Derek Perio picked up the ball at the goal line and returned it 75 yards to the 25. Quarterback Blake Wayne scored the game-winning touchdown.

Loyola got as far as its own 45 when two incompleted passes with 1:25 left gave De La Salle the ball.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Photo: De La Salle quarterback Blake Wayne runs for a 26-yard gain to set up his game-winning touchdown. Credit: Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times

Football: New life for De La Salle

Loyola drove from its own 20 to the De La Salle 16 with just over four minutes left when it attempted a 33-yard field goal. The ball came up short, and Derek Perio of De La Salle picked up the kick at the goal line and returned it to the Loyola 25.

Two plays later, quarterback Blake Wayne scored from the one-yard line with 2:46 left, and De La Salle has pulled ahead, 27-21.

Loyola has only one timeout left. What an amazing turn of events.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Football: De La Salle isn't giving up

Blake Wayne of De La Salle scored a touchdown on a 15-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter, but his pass was incomplete on the two-point conversion attempt, so Loyola is holding on to a 21-19 lead.

De La Salle used more than seven minutes of the clock during an 80-yard, 13-play scoring drive. Not making mistakes is the key to beating De La Salle, and Loyola made a costly one with 5:39 left in the third quarter. De La Salle went into punt formation, facing a fourth-and-five from its 25. Loyola was called for being offside, giving the Spartans a first down and it enabled them to keep their drive alive.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Football: Barr scores his third TD

Anthony Barr's one-yard touchdown run on Loyola's opening drive of the third quarter has given the Cubs a 21-13 lead over De La Salle.

The good news about the 73-yard drive was that Loyola got other players involved besides Barr. Receiver Brett Ackerman caught passes of five and 19 yards.

But it was Barr breaking off runs of 23 and 16 yards before scoring his eighth touchdown of the season.

Could an upset be brewing in Glendale?

-- Eric Sondheimer

Photo: Loyola running back Anthony Barr busts through the line for a gain against De La Salle. Credit: Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times

Football: De La Salle closes to 14-13

It's halftime, and Loyola has a 14-13 lead over De La Salle.

On fourth down, quarterback Blake Wayne of De La Salle ran three yards for a touchdown with 1:07 left in the second quarter, but the extra point attempt was botched.

Loyola has played well on defense, but the Cubs' offense has become one-dimensional, featuring tailback Anthony Barr. De La Salle has started to contain him.

Barr ended the half with 100 yards rushing in 14 carries and two touchdowns. Loyola has yet to attempt a pass, and the only other player to carry the ball was quarterback Stephen Rokus.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Football: Loyola's defense comes up big

De La Salle blocked a punt, giving the Spartans the ball on Loyola's four-yard line. Four times De La Salle handed the ball to running back Kylan Butler. He was stopped three consecutive times from the one-yard line. Talk about great goal-line defense.

De La Salle has started to shut down Loyola running back Anthony Barr with five minutes left in the second quarter and Loyola leading, 14-7.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Football: De La Salle gets on the scoreboard

De La Salle put together a 79-yard scoring drive, getting a 19-yard touchdown reception from Michael Dosen on the first play of the second quarter to cut its deficit to 14-7 against Loyola.

It was a strange first quarter for De La Salle, known for its execution and discipline. The Spartans dropped three passes, had five penalties and fumbled once.

-- Eric Sondheimer