By Tim Peterson
(Glendora) – Decker DeGraaf scored three touchdowns and racked up 201 receiving yards to lead Glendora to a 46-22 rout of Charter Oak Friday night at Citrus College.
DeGraaf hauled in touchdown passes of 52, 31 and 43 yards- all in the first half as the Tartans jumped out to a 25-6 halftime lead. He also hauled in a 47-yard pass from Glendora quarterback Eric Najarro to set up the final score.
The Tartans scored on their first possession as Najarro hit DeGraaf for a 52-yard touchdown with 5:52 left in the first quarter. It was a lead that Glendora never relinquished.
Charter Oak responded with a 65-yard drive that was capped by a three-yard touchdown pass from Corin Berry to Legend Lyons (cool name). The extra point was missed leaving Glendora up by one at 7-6.
Hunter Lemos booted a 31-yard field goal for the Tartans early in the second quarter to make it 10-6. Najarro and DeGraaf hooked up twice more in the quarter – first on a 31-yard TD yard strike and then with just 41 seconds left in the second quarter as DeGraaf grabbed a 43-yard pass.
A turning point came in the second quarter when Charter Oak’s Isaiah Perez returned a kick off down to the Glendora four-yard line but CO couldn’t capitalize. After being stopped on the first three downs the Chargers lined up for a field goal attempt. But a bad snap led to a failed fourth down and the Tartans took over. Down 17-6 at the time the Chargers could have cut the lead to four but instead Glendora scored on the other end and it was 25-6.
Lavar Arrington caught a 9-yard TD strike from Berry early in the third to cut the lead to 25-14 after Lyons hauled In a pass for the two-point conversion but that was as close as the Chargers got.
Najarro broke off a 21-yard scoring jaunt late in the third quarter and when Simon Zwick scored early in the fourth to make it 39-14 that was about all she wrote.
Prior to Najarro’s TD run in the third Arrington was kicked out of the game for a late hit.
Aaron Rivera crossed the goal line on a four-yard run with 9:29 left for CO but Glendora’s Matthew Jordan scored from a yard out with 2:12 left for the final points on the board.
DeGraaf finished with 5 catches for 201 yards and 3 touchdowns. Najarro completed 10 of 18 for 228 and 3 scores and a rushing touchdown. Zwick led the ground game with 93 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries.
For Charter Oak Berry threw two touchdown passes but was hurt by two interceptions. The Chargers turned the ball over three times.
Glendora improved to 3-0 on the season with the victory while Charter Oak fell to 1-2.
I am often disappointed by Peterson hyped players. After watching on video DeGraf dismantle CO’s secondary I’m sold. Keep it up kid. His YAC makes him D1.