Sylmar Shows Its Dominance in Showdown, 48-0

This might have been a matchup of the Valley Pac-8 Conference’s two best teams, but Birmingham High did not have a leg to stand on against Sylmar.

And the specific leg the Braves were lacking belonged to quarterback Vince Lampkin, sidelined because of an injured left ankle.

Deprived of Lampkin’s running and passing talents, Birmingham found itself playing defense for most of the game and lost at home, 48-0.

Sylmar (6-0, 4-0 in league play) scored in the air and on the ground, with trick plays and straightforward football.

Quarterback Daniel Terry ran for two touchdowns and threw for another. Running back Tobaise Brookins carried 22 times for 172 yards and two scores.

“Now people will know how good we really are,” Terry said.

Birmingham (4-2, 3-1), meanwhile, might not want many people to know about this game. The Braves were held to 84 yards as replacement quarterback Noah Kirshbaum completed only seven of 18 passes for 37 yards and threw an interception. Birmingham’s star running back, Darrell Moore, was held to 30 yards in eight carries.

The scoring began quickly. On Sylmar’s fourth play, Terry threw a lateral to wide receiver Brian Roberson who, in turn, lofted a pass to fellow receiver Da’ron Comier. The play covered 59 yards and gave the Spartans a 7-0 lead.

And any questions about how Birmingham would respond to losing Lampkin were also soon answered. On the Braves’ first possession, Kirshbaum--who started several games at the beginning of the season--threw an interception.

Five plays later, Terry turned a broken play into a nine-yard touchdown run. The score was 14-0 after the first quarter.

As the Braves struggled to find an offensive rhythm, Sylmar continued to beat on them like a drum. Terry scored from one yard to cap a 46-yard drive midway through the second quarter.

At the end of the half, Girmar Johnson returned a Birmingham punt 27 yards, and, on the next play, Terry threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Comier, who made a juggling catch. The score was 28-0 at the half.

The second half opened with a brief glimmer of hope, and a brief offensive drive, for Birmingham. But, near midfield, Kirshbaum fumbled a center’s snap and Sylmar recovered. The Spartans stuck mostly to the ground after that. Brookins ran 23 yards for a touchdown at the beginning of the third quarter. He ran six yards for a touchdown at the end of the quarter.

Sylmar’s Rick Hagins closed the scoring with a three-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.