Nogales Retains the "Track" Trophy, Running Past Rival Rowland Raiders in 35-0 Victory

LA PUENTE – What a Difference a year make. While the result is the same, the method of getting to the result is clearly different this year as the Nogales high school football team retains the “Track” trophy in a 35-0 victory over arch nemesis Rowland Raiders Friday evening.

“I’ll take anything we can get,” Nogales coach Richard Salazar said. “The kids are doing it right. The staff is involved. Everyone is doing their job. You get the lucky breaks and do your job and you win.”

In last season’s encounter, Nogales had to hold off the Raiders, who scored on its final drive of the game and needed a 2-point conversion to tie the game. Rowland was unable to convert, and Nogales escaped with a 22-19 victory.

Fast forward to Friday night and it was a totally different ball game. Nogales scored on its first three possessions to take a commanding 21-0 lead into halftime.

It wasn’t pretty, however, as Nogales, although they were able to move the ball and score, were able to get away with various gaffs and hiccups which Rowland could have capitalize on but didn’t.

Nogales fumbled the ball on its first possession, but retained the possession. Rowland then stopped Nogales on a third and long situation, but then gave the Nobles another set of down with a personal foul penalty. Trailing 7-0 Rowland finally got on the board but had the play called back on a penalty.

Nogales quarterback Matt Olguin went 7 of 12 for 182 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for two scores. Andrew Carrasco scored the first two touchdowns on the ground and finished with 112 yards on 17 carries.

Defensively, Nogales was just as proficient, with Junior Angel Amaya leading the way with two key plays knocking away passes in the end zone. Nogales also turned away a Rowland scoring threat right at the halftime buzzer as the ball carrier was stopped just short of the goal line.

“We made little mistakes here and there and fought through it,” he said. “We just wanted to knock ‘em down and shut ‘em out.”

Rowland quarterback Michael Cundiff couldn’t move the ball and many times had his passes deflected or were forced to run the ball himself. Rowland had a chance to score before the half, but Cundiff was stopped just short of the goal line as the buzzer sounded.

Cundiff finished 14 of 26 for 158 yards.

The victory improved Nogales to 5-0, a feat which hasn’t been done in over 20 years, Rowland drops to 3-2. Both teams open league play next Friday with the Nobles hosting 2-3 Azusa, and the Raiders hosts 5-0 San Dimas. Both games start at 7pm.