Sylmar Wins With 4th Straight Shutout

RESEDA — Sylmar High’s football team doesn’t worry too much about winning these days--victories are no problem for the Spartans, who stayed undefeated and posted their 19th consecutive shutout quarter with a 20-0 victory over Reseda on Friday night.

How they do it sometimes is more important. A week earlier, Sylmar decided to electrify the crowd by scoring 61 points against Canoga Park. But Friday night was an exception. The Spartans had not beaten Reseda in five meetings. They would take this victory any way they could get it.

“(Sylmar Coach Jeff Engilman) talked about that all week,” said running back Durell Price, who rushed for 177 yards and one touchdown in 23 carries and helped the Spartans improve to 6-0. “This is Reseda. This is a big rivalry. That’s what pushed us today.”

Reseda’s defense kept the Spartans from turning the game into a high-wire act. Late in the fourth quarter, Price put the game out of reach with a one-yard scoring run that capped a 20-play, 84-yard drive.

Reseda’s offense, however, was manhandled. The Regents (3-3) gained 96 yards, 61 coming on one pass play. They had only two first downs and only two possessions in the second half.

“They’re a good team, but we’re a good team also,” said Regent tight end Alonso Arreola, who caught three passes for 73 yards. “There were a lot of key plays that could have turned the game around.”

After a first-quarter, 19-yard touchdown pass from Greg Marquez (five of 12, 81 yards) to James Seidler, a squib kick hit Reseda lineman Eddie Rodriguez in the rear end. The ball was recovered by Spartan Thomas Toledo.

Reseda held, but couldn’t move the ball. Sylmar made it 14-0 when Marquez scored on a one-yard run. Then came Reseda’s best chance: a 61-yard bomb from Matt Rutter (four of nine, 80 yards) to Arreola, who had beaten single coverage. But Arreola was chased down at the seven.

“I staggered when I caught the ball, and when I turned around I didn’t have an angle,” Arreola said. “We had opportunities.”

Reseda moved only two yards in the next three plays, then Arreola missed a 22-yard field-goal attempt, wide right.