Edgar Melik-Stepanyan
This win had a familiar aspect to it.
For one, the Crescenta Valley High football team got back to its
winning ways by stifling La Canada's offense, and the Falcon offense
continued its reemergence as a dominating attack.
And for the ninth consecutive game between the heated intercity
rivals, the Falcons romped the Spartans.
CV defeated host La Canada, 39-6, on Friday in a nonleague game to
win its first game after an 0-3 start.
"We needed this," Falcon Coach Alan Eberhart said. "Boy, we needed
this."
The Spartans (2-2) -- who had seven first downs and didn't convert
on 10 third downs -- had just 163 yards of total offense, with 133 of
those coming in the second half against mostly Falcon substitutes,
and turned the ball over four times.
La Canada -- which has been outscored, 161-36, by CV since 1998
-- didn't have an answer for the Falcons' spread offense.
CV quarterback Aaron McGuinness had a field day, completing 23 of
36 passes for 329 yards and three touchdowns. It was the third
consecutive game that the senior has thrown for more than 300 yards.
McGuinness' sophomore receiver, Phillip Salazar, finally met his
coach's high expectations, haulding in seven catches for 106 yards.
Nigel Orozco had five catches for 99 yards and a touchdown, as CV
(1-3) amassed 353 yards of total offense.
"We were motivated because we [hadn't] won," said Eberhart, whose
squad totaled 14 first downs. "We were fired up all week.
"We knew they had not faced this kind of offense. We have too many
options."
La Canada's Matt Stoner -- who entered the game as the
highest-rated quarterback in the area -- passed for 146 yards and
threw two interceptions, after throwing just one in his first three
games combined.
Stoner was three for 11 in the first half with just 48 yards.
"They had a good scheme," Spartan Coach Rich Wheeler said.
"We haven't faced that kind of offense anywhere else."
