Thanks to Randy Reams for stats/game info, Gus Vargas for the photos & Mark Sanchez for video clips
Football:
Talk about making a statement.
Ayala hosted Monrovia in a showdown of undefeated programs.
And the Bulldogs took all of the drama out of Friday night’s contest early, and thumped the Wildcats, 41-0, to improve to 4-0.
The AHS defense allowed just 40 total yards of offense and two first downs.
They were so dominant that the entire second half was played with a running clock.
Wyatt Summerford picked up a bobbled punt for a 20-yard scoop-and-score TD for the Ayala special teams.
Offensively, Bryan Wilson went 7-of-8 for 161 yards.
And that included a 20-yard TD strike to Vince Garcia.
Dominic Alloway had two catches for 43 yards, Garcia caught two passes for 55 yards and Drew Amico had 50 receiving yards on three catches.
Elijah Ybanez also snared a Wilson pass for 13 yards.
Anthony ‘Jedi’ Hernandez carried the load for the AHS ground game.
Hernandez rushed for 131 yards on 14 carries.
He tallied three scores on TD runs of 11, 1 and 4 yards.
Jacob Munoz had 14 yards on two carries, and a five-yard TD.
Wilson gained 16 yards on the ground, Alex Thomas rushed for 14 yards and Diego Eligio had two carries for seven yards.
Up next: Monrovia will get a week off to lick their wounds, and Ayala heads to Chino Hills on Friday night.
Lastly, I asked Bulldogs coach AJ Gracia to talk about the weather’s impact on the game plan, the victory and who stepped up.
Quotable:
Ayala coach, AJ Gracia: “The weather played a small factor. We knew we could establish the run and we could rely on it if needed. However, Bryan’s hand strength allows him to throw in any climate. He threw great balls all night, but it was the run game that set the tone. Our defense was so aggressive all night. We got after their QB and were able to put pressure early in the night. He got knocked out of the game and they had trouble moving the ball after that. Anthony “Jedi” Hernandez had a huge night at RB. He scored three TD’s, and stepped up for Marquis (Monroe) who was a little banged up, Marquis could have gone, but we didn’t need him to risk any injury. Our defensive line reset the line of scrimmage all night, and our linebackers flew around. Our special teams played lights out and had a couple blocks. Overall, it was a great team win!”
To view a photo gallery by Gustavo Vargas, click on the Facebook link here: Facebook
Box Score:
M: 0-0-0-0-(0)
A: 13-21-7-0-(41)
Records: Monrovia (3-1); Ayala (4-0)