Torres picks up league win on final play

The Matilda Torres Toros football team completed a touchdown pass on the last play of the game to pick up its first North Yosemite League win in school history.

Jose Soriano found Angel Pereida down the middle of the field for a 25-yard touchdown pass as time ran out for a 26-20 victory Friday over the Roosevelt-Fresno Rough Riders in Sunnyside Stadium.

“We showed some character tonight,” head coach Joseph Marquez said. “It’s huge anytime you can start 1-0. That’s most important.”

The Toros showed grit throughout the game, beginning with Joseph Bass taking the opening kickoff for a touchdown for the early 6-0 lead.

Roosevelt battled right back with a five yard touchdown pass for the 7-6 lead.

Torres was picked off on the next possession and was sacked and fumbled on another possession in the first half.

The Toros took a 14-7 lead when Bass scored on a two-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal from the two.

The lead was short lived. Roosevelt took the ensuing kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown. The point after tied the score at 14 heading into halftime.

“We needed to wake up,” Marquez said of his team coming off of a bye week. “The rust needed to be worked off.”

The Rough Riders scored on the first possession of the second half with a 34-yard touchdown run. The point after was wide, but Roosevelt led 20-14.

The Torres offense punted and fumbled on its first two possession of the second half. However, the defense did its job with a pair of three-and-outs.

“The defense stepped up in the fourth quarter,” Marquez said. “

The Toros began a drive to get the game tied. Soriano completed a 69-yard drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Alan Avila to tie the game at 20.

Roosvelt looked to have re-gained the momentum with a kickoff return for a touchdown. However, a penalty moved the ball back to the 19 yard line. The Toros defense forced another three-and-out.

On third-and-10, Avila caught a pass for a first down. From the Roosevelt 25, facing a fourth-and-one, Soriano completed a screen pass to Bass for 10 yards to set up the game-winner on the next play.

The Toros continue league play on Friday, hosting McLane-Fresno in Memorial Stadium.