Warren football tops rival Downey to stay undefeated and wrap up SGVL title

DOWNEY – Warren utilized a potent tally crippled and beardown reddish portion defence to decision its San Gabriel Valley League rival Downey 26-16 connected Friday nighttime to implicit an undefeated regular play and triumph the league rubric outright.

What made the shot crippled other peculiar was the electrical ambiance generated by the ample assemblage and aggravated rivalry. There was not an bare spot successful the location arsenic fans of some schools piled into Allen Layne Stadium.

Los Angeles Chargers choky extremity Donald Parham Jr. presented a charitable donation earlier the crippled and was connected the tract during the coin toss. The crippled was besides televised connected Bally Sports West.

#BoltUp TE Donald Parham presents Downey HS with a charitable donation earlier the crippled @BeachVarsity pic.twitter.com/rkdcSVsIHl

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) October 30, 2021

This wasn’t conscionable different crippled betwixt 2 schools that are lone a mile successful region from each other.

The country is brainsick already arsenic Downey faces disconnected against rival Warren successful the last crippled of the regular play @BeachVarsity pic.twitter.com/SL20CnVVO9

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) October 30, 2021

The Bears (9-0 overall, 5-0 league) kept power of this crippled with their “ground-and-pound” rushing onslaught that featured moving backmost Marcus Higgs, who led the squad with 109 rushing yards connected 20 carries and scoring 2 touchdowns. Fellow moving backmost Romeo Clark had 99 full yards of discourtesy (60 rushing, 39 receiving) and had a 12-yard touchdown reception.

Warren RB Higgs scores his 2nd TD of the nighttime connected a 2-yard run. A tremendous thrust orchestrated by Iamaleava and Bears instrumentality a timeout earlier their 2-point effort @BeachVarsity

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) October 30, 2021

Junior backmost and five-star enlistee Nicholaus Iamaleava had a beardown crippled with 216 passing yards,  completing 18 of his 27 walk attempts with a touchdown and a fumble mislaid astatine the extremity line. He rushed for 34 yards and scored connected a 12-yard tally successful the 3rd quarter.

Warren QB Nicholaus Iamaleava talks astir the large triumph implicit rival Downey and their undefeated regular play @BeachVarsity @WHSBearFootball pic.twitter.com/bGewyFGZtq

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) October 30, 2021

Iamaleava spoke astir trying to enactment nether power successful specified a raucous atmosphere.

“Going into halftime, Coach P (Kevin Pearson) told america to support our cool, we knew emotions were going to get involved, and coming retired of halftime, I deliberation we did a bully occupation staying poised,” Iamaleava said. “This benignant of ambiance is what you privation to play in, it’s great. Me and my guys, we emotion this benignant of energy.”

He besides talked astir the effectiveness of the tally crippled against the Downey defense.

“They stayed successful that three-man beforehand and we knew the crippled program going into it, we were going to lb the shot and our moving backs did that,” Iamaleava continued.

While Warren’s potent tally crippled allowed it to support power of the crippled and the clock, the Bears’ defense, peculiarly successful the reddish zone, was outstanding. They held the Vikings to 16 points, and aft a turnover led to a first-quarter touchdown Downey didn’t get into the extremity portion again until precocious successful the 4th erstwhile it was excessively late.

Coach Pearson talked astir however the reddish portion defence was a large portion of the Bears’ win.

“They came up large successful the reddish zone,” Pearson said of his defense. “When we got down to the reddish zone, we clamped down a spot and bully defenses bash that.”

For Downey (8-2, 4-1), it was a disappointing extremity to a fantastic regular season. The Vikings fought Warren the full night, made them enactment for everything and forced 2 turnovers.

The Bears scored archetypal and led 6-0 aft a missed PAT. After Clark’s fumble, the Vikings capitalized and scored connected Keion Andrew’s 2-yard touchdown tally for a 7-6 pb astatine the extremity of the archetypal quarter.

The Bears seized power by scoring 14 consecutive points and ne'er looked back. Downey backmost Noah Paez did each helium could to support his squad successful the crippled contempt getting sacked 5 times.

He showed tremendous bosom and grit arsenic helium finished with 290 yards passing, including an awesome 85-yard walk to receiver Isaiah Blair. Paez completed 18 of his 31 walk attempts with a touchdown.

Downey RB Keion Andrew spoke astir the nonaccomplishment to Warren but connected the play of his QB Noah Paez and the coagulated play the Vikings had @BeachVarsity @DowneyASB pic.twitter.com/KoJTsrwKSs

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) October 30, 2021

Andrew spoke highly of his quarterback’s gutsy performance.

“I emotion him, adjacent astatine signifier helium lifts you up,” Andrew said of Paez. “He’s ne'er going to fto you beryllium down, helium builds you up aft each play. If you marque a mistake, it’s ever astir the adjacent play.”

Paez kept that optimism the full game.

“I couldn’t fto my teammates down… I told my teammates to support your caput up, you ne'er cognize what could happen, expect the unexpected,” Paez said. “They were the amended squad today.”

Downey QB @noah_paez2 precise gracious successful decision and had a gutsy show talks astir the nonaccomplishment to Warren and playing successful this chaotic ambiance against a rival @BeachVarsity @DowneyASB pic.twitter.com/uhurP0PF6J

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) October 30, 2021

Two of the standouts for the Vikings were Blair, who had 5 receptions for 143 yards, and Bryant Carey, who finished with 9 catches for 86 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Warren manager Kevin Pearson has immoderate encouraging words for Downey WR Isaiah Blair aft the game. Sportsmanship ne'er goes retired of benignant @BeachVarsity @DowneyASB @WHSBearFootball pic.twitter.com/PJX0Rvs56K

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) October 30, 2021

Both teams appreciated the game’s intensity, sound and raucous atmosphere.

Warren caput manager Kevin Pearson talks astir the ambiance of tonight’s crippled against Downey: “I deliberation it’s however precocious schoolhouse shot should be” @BeachVarsity @WHSBearFootball pic.twitter.com/N5HZ480RDB

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) October 30, 2021

“It’s conscionable getting amended and better, it’s a gem,” Pearson said of the rivalry. “I said successful 2019, it’s the best-kept concealed successful shot successful Southern California. I’m gladsome (Bally Sports) had capable assurance successful some schools and our schoolhouse territory to show this. It’s a gem. It’s a large atmosphere; its however precocious schoolhouse shot should be. I deliberation it’s a small similar Texas precocious schoolhouse football.”