Adam Carrasco (5) of La Mirada is dragged down defender Austin Finton of St. Francis. St. Francis led 15-14 at halftime. (Correspondent photo by Chris Burt)
Photo gallery: La Mirada vs St. Francis
LA MIRADA - There's nothing complex about the La Mirada High School football team's offensive attack.
The Matadores believe they can run against anybody, and they continued to prove the point Friday night.
Adam Carrasco ran for 220 yards and two touchdowns and host La Mirada rolled up 307 yards rushing to rally for a 28-21 victory over St. Francis in a nonleague game.
The Matadores (3-1), also receiving 181 yards passing from Gerry Myres, got a key fumble recovery from Tyler Hallock at the La Mirada 26 with 3:55 left
John Carroll of St. Francis holds the ball up after scoring a touchdown that put the visiting Golden Knights up 15-14 at halftime against La Mirada. (Correspondent photo by Chris Burt)
to play to preserve the victory.La Mirada's Johnny Hills, the team's leading rusher coming into the game, injured his ankle in the first quarter and did not return.
St. Francis, getting 221 yards passing and three touchdowns from Jared Lebowitz, slipped to 2-1.
"We thought we had an advantage with our offensive line, being big," La Mirada coach Mike Moschetti said. "It really hurt us when Johnny Hills went down. It was emotionally draining to see him on the ground.
"But I'm proud of our defense, our offensive line. They stepped up when St. Francis knew we were going to run the ball, and that's what good teams do to win a game."
The Matadores opened the third quarter with a 17-play, 80-yard drive
to take a 21-15 lead following a 1-yard run by Carrasco with 3:34 left in the quarter.The Matadores, after Lebowitz tied it at 21 with a 26-yard pass to Matt Gonzalez early in the fourth quarter, then used another 80-yard drive for the lead.
It was mostly Carrasco, who had a 44-yard run to the Golden Knights' 12 before scoring from there with a run for a 28-21 advantage with 5:37 left.
St. Francis then drove to La Mirada's 26 before Hallock's fumble recovery.
Early on, La Mirada, which dominated traditional powers St. Paul and La Habra, looked like it might do the same to the Golden Knights.
But St. Francis knows all about coming back in big games, and showed it after falling behind 14-0 during the first seven minutes.
Lebowitz, who threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns in a 29-22 win at Righetti last week, found his rhythm near the end of the quarter.
He hit John Carroll for 33 yards to the La Mirada 28 before hooking up with Joe Mudie for 12 yards to cut the deficit to 14-6 with 3:17 left in the quarter. Daniel Kawamura was stopped short on the conversion.
The Golden Knights, after a Mark Verso 28-yard field goal made it 14-9 early in the second, then went ahead 15-14 in the final minute of the half, and once again it was Lebowitz with the heroics.
The senior connected on passes of 25 and 22 yards to the Matadores' 7 before hitting Carroll with a 7-yard look-in pass for the score. Lebowitz mis-fired on the conversion to keep it at 15-14 with 15 seconds left in the half.
"Our guys showed character," St. Francis coach Jim Binds said. "They showed tonight, getting down 14 to zip and coming back to take the lead.
"If it wasn't for a couple of turnovers in the second half, it could have been a different story."
La Mirada had built a 14-0 lead on two long plays in the first quarter.
Myres tossed a hitch pass to Dallis Shipp, who turned it into a 58-yard catch and run for a 7-0 lead with 8:14 left in the quarter.
Backup quarterback Kevin Dillman, in wildcat formation, then took a draw up the middle for 38 yards and a 14-0 lead with 4:53 in the quarter.
steve.ramirez@SGVN.com
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