4th-Quarter Letdown Costs Royal, 17-10

Royal High blew a seven-point, fourth-quarter lead and fell to Downey, 17-10, Friday night in a first-round Southern Section Division II playoff game at Moorpark College.

Sophomore quarterback Johnny Macon threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to running back Ron Martin with three minutes to play to give the Vikings the victory. Macon’s 25-yard touchdown run three minutes earlier had tied the score, 10-10.

Macon also scored the only first-quarter points for Downey (8-3), the second-place entrant from the San Gabriel Valley League, on a 27-yard field goal.

Royal (8-2-1), the second-place team in the Marmonte League, drove 61 yards in six plays on its first possession, scoring on a 36-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ryan Fien to wide receiver Jeff Creed.

Royal had to settle for Steve Prchal’s 32-yard field goal and a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter after an illegal-procedure penalty nullified Robbie Smith’s five-yard scoring run.

Royal punter Richard Naranjo kept Downey pinned deep in its own territory in the first half, forcing the Vikings to begin second-quarter drives at their nine- and seven-yard lines.

Fien completed 17 of 26 passes for 162 yards and threw one interception. Creed caught six passes for 93 yards. The Highlanders managed only 36 yards rushing.