Golden Valley football is the last unbeaten team in the Foothill League. The Grizzlies reached the feat on Friday, after a 21-7 road win over the South Pasadena Tigers.
The Grizzlies (4-0) fell behind one score early but quickly jumped back ahead in the second quarter.
Golden Valley shut out South Pasadena (2-2) for the final three quarters of the game, thanks to some solid run defense and three interceptions, including a fourth-quarter pick from Jonah Garcia.
“It was just back and forth for the rest of the game,” Grizzlies coach Dan Kelley said in a phone interview. “The defense stepped up, we forced them to throw the ball, which I don’t think was what they wanted to do.”
The Tigers run an uncommon, run-heavy offense featuring some fullback rushes. South Pasadena moved the ball effectively throughout the night but Golden Valley put together just enough timely plays and stops on fourth down to keep the Tigers out of the end zone.
Grizzlies quarterback Brandon Contreras hit receiver Anthony Seragusa for a touchdown and a 2-point conversion, to go up 14-7 at halftime.
Rushing touchdowns from Jamison Torres and Donnovan Anson also helped the Grizzlies push ahead and stay undefeated.
Golden Valley’s third-quarter scoring drive ate up over half of the period’s clock, showing Kelley his team can control the tempo in a tight game.
“I liked how we controlled the ball in the third quarter,” Kelley said. “We were able to move the ball down the field and get in the end zone, keeping their offense off the field. That was good to see.”
Kelley has finished the preseason undefeated before. He credits his players for grinding out wins in close games to reach the feat.
“We’ve had some games where they were games all the way to the end,” Kelley said. “The kids have been in games where they needed to fight back and work hard. That’s what the preseason is all about. That gets you ready for Foothill League.”
For Kelley, the fun’s just getting started with Foothill League less than a week away. Golden Valley will host Hart in the league opener on Friday at Canyon High School.
“The preseason is over, it’s time for the Foothill League,” Kelley said. “We’ve got our work cut out for us, week in and week out … They’ve got to rise to the occasion every week from here on out. It’s a playoff atmosphere. We have to try to win every game.”
