Needing to dig deep, Garfield High‘s football team received contributions from a group of players stepping up in the second half to rally for a 21-13 victory over Bell in an Eastern League game Thursday night at South Gate.
Sophomore running back Ceasar Reyes, continuing his rise in the City Section pecking order, rushed for 179 yards in 23 carries and broke off runs of 24, 54 and 29 yards.
Dominic Vasquez, a four-year starter for the Bulldogs (4-2, 2-0), scored on a one-yard quarterback plunge in the third quarter to wipe away a 13-7 halftime deficit. Bell (3-3, 1-1) had stopped the Bulldogs three consecutive times from the one until Vasquez finally sneaked over. Quarterback Robert Cedillo added a 17-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs’ defense did something no unit has done against Bell all season: Hold running back Erick Stubbs to under 100 yards rushing. He finished with 95 yards rushing in 27 carries and scored two touchdowns.
One of Garfield’s most memorable moments was watching 5-foot-5 sophomore Alex Castro dropping Stubbs for a two-yard loss when he tackled the 220-pound senior by going low.
Garfield appears on a path to playing Roosevelt for the Eastern League title on Oct. 25 at SoFi Stadium in the East L.A. Classic that will also feature a halftime concert by the Black Eyed Peas.
