Early Flurry Propels Sylmar to 27-3 Win : Spartans Score 14 Points in 27 Seconds Before Halftime to Bury Birmingham

Twenty-seven seconds in a high school football game is really no time at all.

Even an undisciplined, ragtag team would have to work hard to get penalized for a delay of game in 27 brief seconds.

But 27 seconds of madness was all it took at the end of the first half Friday night at Sylmar High for the host Spartans to tally two touchdowns, showcase one of the more bizarre and exciting runs this season, turn a four-point edge into an 18-point lead and effectively bury Birmingham in a Valley Pac-8 Conference opener.

Sylmar went on to win, 27-3.

“That just blew us apart,” a disconsolate Birmingham Coach Chick Epstein said. “A bunch of mistakes and 20 seconds cost us the game.”

It was 27 seconds. But who’s counting? Maybe Sylmar Coach Jeff Engilman.

“That’s what changed the game,” a fatigued Engilman said after working the sidelines in a fury. “Some mistakes on their part.”

The anatomy of a blitzkrieg:

* After forcing a Birmingham punt and clinging to a 7-3 lead, Sylmar (3-0) took over on its own 36 with 27 seconds to play in the first half.

With one flick of quarterback Daniel Terry’s wrist, a screen pass hit senior tailback Jerome Casey in the chest.

Off went Casey, who cut back behind a wall of blockers and scurried across the field, outrunning an outmanned Brave defense. But near the goal line, Casey slowed to a walk, then stopped altogether, before hopping into the end zone when defenders approached.

Was Casey showing up the Braves? Perhaps not.

“I thought there was a clip,” Casey said. “So I stopped. It was a mistake to stop.”

Regardless, he was in and Sylmar (3-0) led, 14-3, with nine seconds left. Back to the madness:

* Sylmar’s kickoff rolled inside the 10 while several Birmingham players, oddly, surrounded it but didn’t touch it.

After Birmingham’s Eric Williams touched the ball, Sylmar’s DaRon Comier recovered it at the seven-yard line with two seconds left.

* While lining up for what appeared to be a field-goal attempt, holder Daniel Moreno took the snap, rolled to his right and nailed tight end London Woodfin with a pass for a shocking touchdown with no time left.

It was 21-3, Sylmar. It was halftime. And it was over.

Two Oscar Hernandez field goals in the fourth quarter accounted for the final score.

Birmingham’s only score was a first-quarter field goal of 30 yards by Jake Brescher. The Braves (2-1) had recovered a fumble at the Sylmar 39-yard line to set up the kick.

In between the kicks, Casey was dazzling. In just 17 carries, the senior combined stunning strength to match his speed, gaining 218 yards and scoring a touchdown of 13 yards. He also had runs of 74, 37, and 32 yards. In two receptions, he gained 75 yards and scored a touchdown.

Nice night, eh, Jerome?

“The yardage is the furthest thing from my mind,” Casey said. “We made too many mistakes.”

Strange quote?

Matches a strange night, in which an entire football game was played in nearly the blink of an eye.