Reseda Defense Down Eagle Rock

After last week’s second-half debacle at University High, the touted Reseda defense felt like it had something to prove in the first round of the City 2-A playoffs against Eagle Rock on Friday night.

Reseda had allowed 22 points in the second half of last week’s embarrassing loss, almost as many as it had yielded all season.

This time, Reseda couldn’t wait to get a piece of the Rock. Eagle Rock. Reseda (8-2) advances to the semifinal round of the City playoffs, playing Los Angeles, a 19-14 winner over Venice on Friday.

The regents limited Eagle Rock (4-5-1) to just 123 yards and held Chuck Engle, the City’s fourth-rated quarterback, to just 101 yards on 7-of-23 passing in a 30-6 victory at Glendale High.

“They had been saying all week how they were going to pass against us,” said Reseda Coach Joel Schaeffer. “They compared their passing game to that of University’s.

“But I’ll tell you what, comparing Eagle Rock to University is like comparing a pea shooter to a cannon.”

Reseda quarterback Donnie Grant threw for a season-high 132 yards, while receiver David Wilson caught seven passes for 93 yards.

The normally conservative Reseda offensive scored its first two touchdowns on gadget plays, a 34-yard touchdown by Darrell Armstrong on a triple reverse and a 44-yard score pass from receiver Sam Edwards to Wilson on a double-reversal option play

Reseda scored early in the second half after Eagle Rock fumbled the kickoff when Chris Vargas rambled in from the eight yard-line, giving the Regents a 21-0 lead.

After George Konstantinopoulos added a 25-yard field goal, Eagle Rock scored its only touchdown on a four-yard run by John Rodriguez.

Reseda scored with just a minute left on a 30-yard pass from Mike Lance to George Campbell.