The East Los Angeles Huskies overpowered the Vaqueros Sept. 18, then devoured them with no mercy: 33-13.
The first quarter in East L.A. started off positively for the Vaqs. Their morale was high and they looked forward to a fresh start, with hopes of winning the game.
Glendale was rated higher statistically. Unfortunately, at 5:42 in the first quarter, the Huskies scored an easy touchdown and made the extra point, making the score 7-0.
With the Vaqs’ morale still up, they took their revenge in the second quarter at 14:21 as Antonio Bray, with speed and agility, zigzagged through the swarming defense of the Huskies and exploded down the field en route to scoring a 60-yard touchdown. Once again, Bray went all the way.
It was an ideal night for a football game. When the fans exhaled, their breath could be seen in the mist of the cool night air. There was an electric energy present throughout the stadium, as rival fans from both sides were charged up for the game.
But numbness began to overpower the Vaquero fans toward the end of the second half, as East L.A. scored another touchdown with 4:12 to go on a 50 yard run as well as an extra point for a field goal making the score 14-6.
In the end, the Vaqueros were unable to rebound against the Huskie onslaught. East L.A. scored five touchdowns and three extra points. The Vaqueros scored a final touchdown in the last 51 seconds of the game, rallying the fans, but it wasn’t enough to save the game. The final score was 33-13.
“We’re young and that’s the hardest part for us,” Head Coach John Rome said when asked about the Vaqs’ performance. The majority of the players on the Glendale team are rookies, while most of the players on the Huskies side are veterans.
“I saw some improvement,” Rome added. “We got a little better, but not quite good enough.”
It seemed as though the topic of the night for the Vaqueros was urgency. When asked about Saturday’s game, freshmen running back Antonio Bray said, “We got to fix some mistakes.” He explained that Glendale failed to capitalize on many opportunities they had throughout the game, from missing interceptions to fumbling the ball.
The Vaqueros do have exceptional potential to improve, according to John Rome. “Explosive plays here and there, [then] after there was nothing,” Assistant coach Alex Rome said.
As for the quarter situation, which has been a serious issue since the first game, Quarterback Coach Kevin Mills explained, “We need to come out and have a greater sense of urgency.” He added, “We need to make the proper throws.”
Rome said finally, “We’re going back to the basics.”
The next game will be played at home on Saturday at 6 p.m. against Los Angeles Valley College.
