Drenched in sweat and tears, Diego Montes might lastly gasp for air within the sweltering warmth of the San Fernando Valley summer time.
It wasn’t the high-90s warmth that lingered by means of the three-plus hour Metropolis Part showdown Friday night time that left the five-foot-11 senior quarterback of Granada Hills Kennedy emotional, burrowed into relations’ arms after the sport ended. Montes had simply surged into the tip zone for a successful five-yard dashing landing — the final of a career-best seven-touchdown efficiency — in a 59-56 overcome Eagle Rock and quarterback Liam Pasten.
If Friday served as a litmus check for the Metropolis Part squads, each vying for league titles (Eagle Rock within the Northern League and Kennedy within the Mission League), their quarterbacks greater than met the problem.
An hour earlier than kickoff, three Kennedy college students known as Montes over to the soccer area’s aspect gate.
“What number of touchdowns are you going to attain tonight?” one pupil requested.
Montes replied: “I acquired 5.”
He didn’t simply safe 5. His seven scores — three passing and 4 dashing — mixed together with his 280 passing yards and 164 dashing yards helped Kennedy rally, even when the Golden Cougars trailed by two scores at two factors within the sport.
“That’s essentially the most drained I’ve ever been in a sport,” mentioned Montes, who scored the successful landing with simply 11 seconds remaining. “My final first sport. It means a lot to me.”
Montes related with Jay Saucillo thrice — the final of which positioned Kennedy forward 51-50 with 4:11 left.
Pasten, who tallied 389 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns and one dashing landing in opposition to the Golden Cougars, had greater than sufficient time to strike again. Battling blow for blow with Montes — who earned All-Metropolis honors alongside Pasten a 12 months in the past — the Eagles senior tossed a 15-yard landing to Aidan Sierra to offer Eagle Rock a 56-51 lead with 1:11 left.
“I used to be within the twilight zone for a bit bit,” Kennedy coach Troy Cassidy mentioned concerning the back-and-forth battle. “It was such a sizzling day at the moment and simply draining. And there have been so many performs run between two no-huddle offenses.”
Whereas Pasten is properly on his manner of surpassing the 36 passing touchdowns he had final season in the end couldn’t lead Eagle Rock to victory, he embraced Montes after the sport and complimented him on his standout efficiency.
Montes jogged to Eagle Rock’s sideline because the crew ready for the bus trip house, making a beeline for Eagles coach Andy Moran to shake his hand.
For Pasten and Montes, that is what the Metropolis Part is all about.
“Don’t underestimate us,” Pasten mentioned. “Lots of people look in the direction of that Southern Part, however I imply, Metropolis Part gamers acquired coronary heart. They battle each sport. So simply don’t, don’t underestimate the expertise.”
