One down, three to go!
South Pasadena High opened postseason play Friday night in hopes it will be the first of four consecutive wins leading up to a CIF-Southern Section championship as the Tigers handed visiting San Marcos of Santa Barbara a 42-17 setback in round one action.
With the victory, the Tigers improved to 7-4 overall, coming off a perfect 4–0 mark in Rio Hondo League play, and securing the Rio Hondo League title for the second year in a row.
The Division 11 triumph was also South Pasadena’s fifth in a row, a statement victory as the Tigers continue to show their resilience following a slow start out of the gates to the season when they dropped four of their first six non-league contests.
Senior sensation running back Trey Freking scored all four of the Tigers first half touchdowns as South Pasadena pulled out to a 28-14 lead at the break. He went 6, 11, 80 yards and hauled in a 25-yard TD pass from Andrew Nott.
San Marcos scored its first points with five minutes to go in the second period, Cole Dominquez going across from 4 yards out.
The Royals stayed in the game, closing the gap to 28-14 just before halftime when quarterback Hayden Feleay found Liam Milligan on a 16-yard scoring toss.
By the half, Freking was well on his way to a big game, picking up 190 yards on 14 carries to go along with his four TDs. Over the first two periods, Nott, under center running the offense, was 5 of 6 for 93 yards and a touchdown.
San Marcos got to within 11, 28-17, four minutes into the third quarter when Austin Downing booted a 29-yard field goal.
But it wasn’t long before South Pasadena scored again, Rick Matsuda rushing in from a yard out, the Tigers now on top 35-17 with four minutes remaining in the third period.
The Tigers looked to be going in again, but the Royals’ Isaac Murillo intercepted a South Pasadena pass at their own 9 near the end of the third quarter.
After the Royals’ drive stalled, South Pasadena was back in control as Matsuda scored on the ground from the one, the Tigers recording their final points, icing it 42-17.
Freking finished with 262 yards on 22 carries, three touchdowns on the ground and one through the air. Evan Hyun chipped in with 61 yards, packing the ball eight times, while Mikey Dillisio had 29 on four.
“Our running game was on point,” said Tigers’ coach Jeff Chi. “Controlling the line of scrimmage was a huge part of our success.”
It has been a striking turnaround by South Pasadena. After going 2-4 in the preseason, the Tigers found their way behind a balanced offense and a solid defense taking down one league opponent after another enroute to Friday night’s lopsided victory over the Royals.
With the win, South Pasadena now advances to the CIF quarterfinals on November 14, traveling play Palmdale, a 39-20 winner over Diamond Bar in the CIF quarterfinals next week on the road on November 14 at 7 p.m.
If successful in the quarters, South Pasadena would then play in the semifinals on November 21 and the championship game November 28 – the day after Thanksgiving.
Chi put together a tough non-league slate to purposely prepare his squad for the rigors of league and postseason competition. The goal was to make his players more than ready by the time the most important games came up on the schedule.
A year ago, South Pasadena finished with a 10-4 overall record, grabbed the league title for the first time in 45 years and went onto the CIF semifinals before their season came to an end.
For San Marcos, it was a disappointing end to a long campaign, as the Royals finished 4–7 overall, 3–2 in league, good enough for third place.
As a city, South Pasadena is energized by the efforts of a team seeking the lofty goal of a CIF crown as it continues its playoff run.
“I am very proud of the players for continuing to work hard and doing the right things for our team’s success,” noted Chi.
