South Pasadena High is starting to make a habit of knocking off unbeaten teams.
For the second straight week, the Tigers took down a previously undefeated opponent, this time outlasting La Cañada Friday night in a thrilling home win, 23-22, to climb into sole possession of first place in the Rio Hondo League.
With the victory, South Pasadena evened its overall record at 4-4 but improved to 2-0 in league play, an impressive turnaround for a team that struggled through a challenging non-league slate.
Tigers coach Jeff Chi knew his team’s schedule would be a strong test, but that was the point in getting ready for league play and the likes of Monrovia, La Cañada, San Marino and Temple City standing in their way.
South Pasadena opened league competition on October 3 with a dramatic 23-21 win over previously unbeaten Monrovia, setting the stage for another big performance against the Spartans.
“I am very excited and happy for our players,” said Chi. “They have worked so hard all year, and it paid off. Hopefully our players will get the respect that they deserve for all their effort.”
La Cañada entered Friday night’s matchup with a spotless 7-0 record, including a dominant 44-3 victory over Temple City to open league play. The Tigers’ defense came up clutch again, and the offense did its part, battling back from an 12-point first half deficit, to seal the deal in front of a raucous crowd.
South Pasadena scored first on a Nicholas Dragonas 35-yard field goal, giving the Tigers a 3-0 lead with about four minutes left in the first quarter.
After some big yardage came on a pair of long runs by the Spartans’ top running back Dash Draper, suddenly the Spartans were down to the Tigers’ 7-yardline. Draper’s number was called again, and he bolted across for La Canada’s first touchdown late in the first quarter. The 2-point conversion was good.
La Cañada found the endzone for the second time as the clock was running out just before the half, quarterback Joe Bell breaking loose for a 65-yard scoring run, making it 15-3 at the break.
The Spartans slowed down South Pasadena’s biggest offensive threat, holding Trey Freking to just 33 first half yards on seven carries before he exploded in the second. Tigers quarterback Andrew Nott was 3 of 6 for 21 yards over the first two quarters, before he revved up down the stretch. They tandem were just warming up for a nail-biting finale.
It didn’t help matters when South Pasadena let a sure scoring opportunity get away as a long pass just before the half fell to the ground.
Yet this group – relentless, full of grit, spirit and determination – exemplified remarkable tenacity in its unwavering commitment to find a way to win.
The Tigers, opening the third quarter by surprising the Spartans with a successful onside kick, closed the gap to 15-10 with just over eight minutes to go in the period when Freking took it across from 1-yard out.
La Canada answered, increasing its lead to 22-10 on a rushing TD by Bell with three minutes to go in the third quarter.
No problem. Here come the Tigers, who seem to thrive under pressure, shine when the stakes are high. With nine minutes in the fourth quarter, Nott found Toshio Matsuoka for a 5-yard touchdown pass, the Tigers now trailing 22-17.
Then came the real dramatics as the game was winding down. Following a Spartan fumble at its own 42, South Pasadena recovered and drove the ball down to the La Cañada seven, taking their first lead of the game, 23-22, Tiger fans going wild, as Freking went the distance from there. A two-point conversion try, which would have given South Pasadena a three-point cushion, failed but the Tigers held on, locking down the victory.
His final numbers improved significantly after a slow start in the first half as Freking finished with 156 yards on 27 carries and two touchdowns.
As always, much of the credit goes to those creating the holes up front.
“We just focus on what we do best and execute as a team,” Chi said. “And controlling the line of scrimmage was the key to our success. Our linemen stepped up for the challenge.”
Nott, in guiding the Tigers offense under center, ended the night connecting on 8 of 12 for 57 yards and a TD.
For South Pasadena, the back-to-back league wins mark a dramatic shift from the early season. After going 2-4 in non-league play, the Tigers have found their stride when it matters most.
The Tigers are finally playing complete football as the team’s confidence continues to grow, in finishing off league opponents.
La Canada, meanwhile, falls to 7-1 overall, 1-1 in league, and remains firmly in the hunt for a playoff berth. The top two Rio Hondo League finishers move on to the CIF-Southern Section playoffs.
South Pasadena will look to continue its late-season surge when it hosts rival San Marino on October 17 ahead of a road trip to Temple City on October 24 to conclude the regular season. La Cañada hopes to rebound against Monrovia next week at home before finishing the league campaign at San Marino.
