MONTEBELLO – Schurr quarterback Joseph Alvarado and running back Elias Navarro combined for three touchdowns and 321 yards in the Spartans’ win over visiting South Pasadena on Friday night.
After struggling to score several times in the red zone in the first half, Schurr’s offense came back with momentum and scored four touchdowns in the second half, earning a 28-0 victory.
Navarro scored the first points for the Spartans just minutes after kick returner Gabriel Suliaman returned the ball 52 yards early in the second half. Navarro used a 14-yard run to set up a 1-yard touchdown run that gave Schurr a 7-0 lead.
“We were in a bit of a slump at the beginning,” said Navarro. “After we talked at halftime, we were able to just push through and pick ourselves up. We came out of here. We showed our determination and scored a goal.”
Navarro scored again in the fourth quarter to give the Spartans a 14-0 lead. He finished the night with a 76-yard run and a 20-yard reception.
Alvarado threw a touchdown pass to Mateo Gabriel in the fourth quarter. The senior quarterback found Gabriel on a short, flat route near the sideline and Gabriel slipped a defender to reach the end zone, giving him a 21-0 lead.
Caesar Aguila connected with Alvarado early on. The two combined for 116 yards, including a 50-yard pass in the second quarter that put the Spartans in position to score before halftime until the Tigers defense continued to hold firm and forced Schurr to give up the ball on a tackle attempt at the end of the half.
On defense, Aguila had an interception in the second quarter, just moments before he and Alvarado made the big play.
Elias Navarro talks about his first touchdown tonight after Schurr’s offense struggled to score a touchdown in the first half. @SGVNSports pic.twitter.com/BxCfY4VZTb
– Thomas Murray (@Thomas_L_Murray) 24 August 2024
Joseph Alvarado on Caesar Aguila’s performance in his 116-yard pass reception tonight.
It was not my intention to interrupt Rlias Navarro either, but he confirmed after the game that Aguila is his cousin. @SGVNSports pic.twitter.com/XkQ1QR7oTt
– Thomas Murray (@Thomas_L_Murray) 24 August 2024
David Ramos after his team’s 28-0 win tonight. The Spartans had a total of 14 penalties. @SGVNSports pic.twitter.com/GDdw36zGuN
– Thomas Murray (@Thomas_L_Murray) 24 August 2024
In the second quarter, South Pasadena pressured Alvarado and forced Tigers defensive tackle Omar Soufi’s first interception of the night, catching the ball as it deflected, the Tigers’ only turnover.
Schurr forced five turnovers in the game. The first came in the first quarter when cornerback Albert Chavez made a diving tackle to intercept South Pasadena quarterback Zachary Lee. Chavez intercepted Lee again with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, ending the game.
Throughout the game, Lee took a lot of hard hits and gave his all for the Tigers. Late in the fourth quarter, a Schurr defender hit Lee in the last minute, but no penalty was assessed.
“(Zachary Lee) made a couple of unnecessary throws and I was a little mad,” South Pasadena coach Jeff Chi said after the fourth-quarter hit. “I was a little mad about the whole rush thing. Their job is to score the game fairly. And they’re supposed to protect our players, but I felt like that wasn’t happening, especially with our quarterback.”
The Spartans struggled to avoid penalties as false starts, late shots and illegal blocks resulted in repeated flags that denied the offense and special teams important plays.
“You know, it’s a lot of young guys, that’s really what it is,” Schurr coach Dave Ramos said. “A couple of our older players have graduated. Our younger guys need more practice reps, they need more time. And no matter what we do in practice, we can never simulate what we do out here.”
Ramos had positive things to say about South Pasadena.
“South (Pasadena) is a pretty good team, they’re well coached,” Ramos said. “We knew they were going to do something to take away what we’re good at, which is running the ball.”
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