DOWNEY – Warren’s football team overcame an early deficit and dominated the second half with their potent run game and staunch defense in a 40-14 rout over Golden Valley in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 quarterfinals on Friday night.
The Bears (5-7) will face Yucaipa in the semifinals next week.
It was a tale of two halves for Warren, which had numerous penalties that halted their offensive drives in the first half. They trailed 14-7 at halftime after the Grizzlies (9-3) scored on an 8-yard touchdown run from senior Jamison Torres with 35 seconds left in the second quarter.
Those would be the last points Golden Valley would score, as the Bears defense shut out the Grizzlies in the second half. They consistently put pressure on quarterback Brandon Contreras, who threw two interceptions and was sacked three times while being held to just 29 passing yards in the second half after throwing for 137 yards in the first half.
Golden Valley was led by running back Torres, who scored both touchdowns for the Grizzlies (one rushing and one receiving) and finished with 120 total yards.
Warren head coach Adam Leonard said preparation was key to their success on defense in the second half while also being poised.
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“It was a great week of preparation. Our scout team did a great job of going over what they like to do and just trying to take it away,” Leonard said. “When (Golden Valley) came back to being true to who they are, we were able to play solid against it. Kudos to the preparation.”
“We were really emotional early on,” Leonard continued. “We were able to take a deep breath and say, ‘This is football, we prepare for it, trust your eyes, play what you see,’ and they were able to do that in the second half.”
The ground game for the Bears also came alive in the second half, led by dynamic running backs Skylar Lendsey and Teralle Watson who combined for four rushing touchdowns.
Lendsey finished with 137 yards rushing on 12 carries and scored two touchdowns, both in the second half, including a brilliant 41-yard scoring run.
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Lendsey said adjusting their mentality during halftime led to their second-half turnaround.
“We came in not doing too good, thinking that we can punch them in the mouth,” Lendsey said. “We had to go into halftime and talk about it, see what we were going to do and (we came) back out and went crazy.”
Watson added 49 yards rushing on 10 carries and also scored two touchdowns in the second half.
He also said the week of preparation was important, and they simply had to trust their game plan.
“I just feel like we all have to believe in each other,” Watson said. “What we put in during the whole week, we just have to trust in that and do our job.”
Warren quarterback Jemar Malone also played well with a 15-yard rushing touchdown in the first half and threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jalen Ross in the second half.
Leonard spoke highly of the offense and how they were able to find a rhythm despite the early penalties.
“We’re blessed to have Jemar come here late in the year, we know he has ability,” Leonard said. “We know that the way we’re going to win games is playing solid defense and being able to control the ball and run it behind our two really good backs (Watson and Lendsey). We have full confidence in not only them, but our (offensive) line to set the scene for them to be successful.”
