A nail-biter ends a winless run
In a Valley Mission League matchup that went down to the final play, Canoga Park hung on for a 14-12 victory over Reseda Thursday night, snapping a six-game losing streak and claiming its first win under new head coach Randy Luna.
The Hunters improved to 1-6 overall and 1-2 in league play. Reseda fell to 1-5, 0-3.
Early lead, then a see-saw second half
Canoga Park got off to a fast start. Salvador Valdez punched in a 15-yard touchdown run to open scoring, and the Hunters led 7-0 after the extra point.
Reseda answered in the second quarter when Michael Moreno found Jafet Contreras for a 19-yard touchdown pass. The Raiders failed on the two-point conversion, so Canoga Park carried a slim 7-6 lead into the half.
The script flipped in the second half, with Reseda hosting its homecoming game. Moreno and Contreras hooked up again on a six-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion attempt failed once more, but that was not an issue this time, as Reseda took a 12-7 lead.
Varillas goes 16 yards to steal it back
To open the fourth quarter, Ryan Varillas took off for a 16-yard touchdown run. The extra point put Canoga Park back in front, 14-12, with 9:29 left on the clock.
"I feel fantastic," Varillas said after the game. "My guys went crazy tonight. I give all the glory to God. I want to give a shoutout to my line and blockers because if it weren't for them, I wouldn't have scored."