Pasadena football crushes Crescenta Valley in Pacific League opener

PASADENA >> The Pasadena football team has found itself in a rare position this season as the favorite to win the Pacific League.

The Bulldogs are not only ready to embrace that but to exceed expectations. They put the rest of the league on notice with a 46-0 thrashing of Crescenta Valley on Thursday night in the league opener.

“We’re on the path to stay focused and go win league,” said Pasadena coach Dejuan Shamburger. “It hasn’t been done…I can’t even remember when Pasadena High won league by itself. That’s our mission right now. One down and four to go.”

Pasadena (4-2, 1-0) dominated on both sides of the ball. It would be difficult to say which side was more in control.

The offense scored touchdowns easily on its first five possessions, but the defense forced four turnovers, scored touchdowns on two interception returns and held Crescenta Valley (1-4, 0-1) to only 108 total yards of offense even though the Falcons controlled the time of possession before the game went to a running clock in the fourth quarter.

“We knew (Crescenta Valley) didn’t want our offense on the field and that they were going to keep running the ball,” Shamburger said. “The defense had to step up and it stepped up big.”

The defense set the tone early. The Falcons had the ball at midfield on the opening possession of the game when quarterback Matias Pineda dropped back to pass and threw over the middle where Jason Sanford picked the ball off and raced 57 yards down the sideline for a touchdown to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead.

“When I caught the ball I was stumbling so I was hoping I didn’t drop it,” Sanford said. “When I caught it I kept going and saw green grass and I was thinking I was going to score.”

That was his first touchdown. Sanford scored his second touchdown early in the second quarter on offense. In the back of the end zone, he made a leaping catch for a score and a 13-0 Pasadena lead. It was the first of his two receptions for 44 yards.

Bulldogs receiver Mekhi Fox came into the game as one of the state’s leading receivers with 750 yards in five games. He only caught one pass in the game, but it was a spectacular effort that resulted in a touchdown in the second quarter.

Fox took a screen pass and eluded a tackle on the left side of the field before racing behind the line of scrimmage to the right side. He outraced Falcon defenders and eluded one last tackle attempt at the 8-yard line on his way to a dazzling 36-yard touchdown reception that put Pasadena up 19-0.

Pasadena quarterback Kaden Taylor threw two more touchdown passes. One was to Idrique Carmichael for a 25-yard score late in the second quarter that gave Pasadena a 27-0 lead. The other came in the third quarter when Jasun Ridley caught a 6-yard pass to put Pasadena up 34-0.

Taylor finished the game having completed 9 of 11 passes for 175 yards. He was replaced by Hype Grand, who threw a touchdown in the third quarter to Jamir Allen.

Pasadena’s defense finished the scoring when Gabriel Solorzano picked off a screen pass and raced 20 yards to the end zone.

With the dominating win, Shamburger said he doesn’t want his team to get too cocky.

“We’re going to go game-by-game,” he said. “We’re not going to come out and think we’re favorites. We have to take care of what we have to do and that’s game-by-game.

Pasadena will play Burroughs next week and even though the team is focused on winning league, it still is having some fun.

Sanford said he hopes he gets donuts for his two touchdowns and because the defense had a shutout.

“He got a defensive touchdown and an offensive touchdown so he said he feels he needs donuts,” Shamburger said with a smile.

Shamburger was asked if Sanford will be getting them.

“I don’t know,” he laughed.

Thursday’s scores

San Gabriel 42, Montebello 28

Rosemead 50, Mountain View 8

Schurr 37, Bell Gardens 12

Ganesha 35, Bassett 26

Walnut 35, Wilson 19

Pasadena 46, Crescenta Valley 0