Game info from Harry Joe
Football:
While Muir (4-6) and La Salle (5-5) had home games in Friday’s first round of the CIF-SS Division 10 playoffs, Rio Hondo Prep (8-1) had to travel to Norwalk (9-1).
And the Kares, who have 125 students on campus, gave the Vikings (2,025 enrollment) everything they could handle.
In fact, it took a 9-yard Michael Mueller TD run and a Mueller 2-point conversion with 3:30 to play to edge RHP, 28-27.
Rio Hondo Prep fell behind 14-0 after eight minutes of play, but the Kares would out-score Norwalk, 27-14, the rest of the way.
After spotting NHS that 14-point lead, Noah Penunuri scored on a 2-yard run to get the Kares to within 14-6 after RHP went for two and came up short.
Norwalk got a 5-yard TD run from Anthony Martinez to extend the Vikings lead to 20-6.
Rio Hondo Prep would battle back with three consecutive scores to take a 27-20 lead.
Nate Curtis caught an 8-yard halfback pass from Ryan McCulloch, and then McCulloch would tie the game at 20-20 on a 6-yard TD.
Curtis gave RHP its first lead of the game with 8:13 to play on a 29-yard TD run.
But it was that late Norwalk TD and 2-point conversion that turned out to seal the Vikings’ victory.
NHS edged the Kares, 387-360, in total offense.
Norwalk also out-rushed RHP, 339-265, on Friday.
McCulloch’s magical ride for Rio Hondo Prep came to an end, but not before rushing for 149 yards on 21 carries and one TD.
He also caught four passes for 37 yards, had the TD pass to Curtis, and tallied six tackles.
Nate Curtis carried the ball seven times for 77 yards and a score, and Penunuri gained 41 yards on nine carries and one TD.
Norwalk’s Herrera (193 yards, one TD) and Mueller (101, two TD’s) combined to rush for 294 yards and three TD’s.
Curtis had a game-high seven tackles for RHP.
Congratulations to Rio Hondo Prep for another outstanding season, and always willing to take on programs so much bigger than their own.
Box Score:
RHP: 0-13-7-7-(27)
Nor: 14-6-0-8-(28)
Scoring:
Nor: Michael Mueller 51 run (Nelson Vasquez kick)
Nor: David Herrera 16 run (Nelson Vasquez kick)
RHP: Noah Penunuri 2 run (run failed)
Nor: Anthony Martinez 5 run (kick failed)
RHP: Nate Curtis 9 pass from Ryan McCulloch (Marco Chan kick)
RHP: Ryan McCulloch 6 run (Marco Chan kick)
RHP: Nate Curtis 29 run (Marco Chan kick)
Nor: Michael Mueller 9 run (Michael Muller run)
Records: Rio Hondo Prep (8-2); Norwalk (10-1)
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