SBCC quarterback Jarred Evans had a huge game on Saturday night with 266 all-purpose yards and four passing touchdowns but it wasn’t enough as East Los Angeles rallied for a 28-27 nonconference football victory at Monterey Park.
Santa Barbara (0-2) took a 27-13 lead on an 18-yard pass from Evans to tight end Tyson Heller near the right sideline with 9:21 to play. Evans, a freshman from Philadelphia, completed 14-of-23 passes for 225 yards and four TDs measuring 7, 9, 36 and 18 yards. He also rushed 13 times for 41 yards, including a 30-yard sprint in the second quarter.
Steven Jerome caught three passes for 95 yards and a TD.
Evans tossed a pair of first-half interceptions with the first one coming in the end zone on SBCC’s third possession. That spoiled a 58-yard drive to the Huskies’ 6. The second pick bounced off a receiver into the hands of Hector Cazales.
East L.A., ranked 20th in the state with a 2-0 record, scored 15 points in a span of 5:15 to pull out the win.
“It’s heartbreaking, especially when our guys played as hard as they did,” said Vaquero coach Craig Moropoulos. “There’s a lot of positive things we can take from this game.
“Jeff Walton played very well for us in an emergency role and established himself when (starting running back) Brandon Gonzalez was injured late in the first half.”
Walton gained 99 yards on just 11 carries (9.0 avg.).
East L.A. quarterback Aaron Cantu was 32-of-49 passing for 387 yards and two TDs. In the second half, he was 18-30 for 258 yards.
The Huskies needed just three plays to move 68 yards after SBCC took the 14-point lead. Cantu hit Willie Udofia at the Vaquero 45 and he found clear sailing after splitting two defenders to complete a 62-yard touchdown.
Thomas Borchert blocked the PAT kick and the Vaqueros led 27-19.
A short kick return and a penalty moved the ball back to the 4. On third-and-8, Evans was sacked in the end zone for a safety by Cazales, shaving the lead to six points.
SBCC kicked off from its own 20 and East L.A. started on its 44. Six plays later, the Huskies had a third-and-12 at the SBCC 46. Cantu completed a 15-yard pass and a personal foul on the Vaqueros moved the ball to the 16.
The Huskies faced a fourth-and-7 from the 13 but SBCC jumped offside, moving the ball to the 8. Cantu hit Carlos Portillo for a 7-yard gain to the 1.
On first down, Preston Oliver scored over the right side to tie the game. Allan Infante’s PAT kick gave the Huskies a 28-27 lead.
Santa Barbara had three minutes to seek a potential game-winning score. Evans moved the Vaqueros from his 32 to the Huskies’ 21 but SBCC received a personal foul penalty that sent them back to the 36.
On first down, Breeon Moreno hit Evans’ arm as he was passing and forced a fumble. East L.A.’s Kenneth Moore recovered at his own 42 and the Huskies knelt down for the last two plays.
There were 886 yards of offense, seven turnovers and 24 penalties (13 by ELA) in the contest. The Huskies won the yardage battle 485 to 401.
“We played a great game, we just made little mistakes here and there,” said Evans. “It wasn’t about me, it’s about my team and how we did it together. The linemen blocked fantastically and the receivers did their job. I’m proud of my team. We came up short and that hurts.
“Despite the loss, we’re going to stay positive and get ready for Compton.”
The Vaqueros jumped ahead 13-0 early in the second quarter on TD passes of 7 and 9 yards from Evans to Anthony Fullman and Kyle Brown, respectively. East L.A. rallied to tie it 13-all at the half.
Santa Barbara regained the upper hand with a five-play, 89-yard third-quarter march capped by a 34-yard run by Walton and a 36-yard scoring toss from Evans to Jerome that made it 20-13.
Safety Mitch Nelson led the defense with 15 tackles (5 solo) while Colin Christian had 12, including seven solo. Morgan Nevin contributed eight tackles and a fumble recovery and Julian Patton foiled a Husky scoring threat with a third-quarter interception at his own 5.
Cornerback Delency Parham had nine tackles and broke up four passes.
SBCC hosts Compton on Friday at 7 p.m. in its final nonconference game
