IRVINE – It was a great start, but an even better finish for Northwood Friday night in a nonleague game against Katella.
The Timberwolves took an early lead but had to rally with 10 fourth-quarter points to defeat a scrappy Katella squad, 38-34, at Irvine High.
Northwood quarterback Brian Abel connected with Sam Aguilar on a 15-yard TD pass with 1:48 left to put the Timberwolves ahead, 38-34.
Northwood (3-1) got into position to move ahead when Chase Walmsley connected on a 40-yard field goal with 7:51 remaining to cut the lead to 34-31.
Northwood jumped out to a 21-6 lead with three scores in the first quarter, including touchdown runs of 30 and 14 yards by Spencer Tran.
But Katella (2-2) dominated the second quarter, outscoring Northwood 22-0, to take a 28-21 edge at halftime.
Isaac Sosa had two of the scores – a 27 yard TD catch and an 83-yard reception for a score. Jaymeson Mowdy scored the other TD on a 5-yard run late in the second quarter.
“It was a good gut-check for our guys tonight,” said Northwood Coach Dean Toohey. “He (Aguilar) made some plays tonight and some of our other kids stepped up and made some plays for us.”
Among them was Abel, who was making his first appearance of the year after sitting out three games for breaking team rules.
“Abel came back today and he had a little rust,” Toohey said. “He had to sort of work through it a little bit.”
Katella quarterback Ricardo Armenta passed for 367 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 104 yards. Mowdy rushed for 62 yards and three TDS.
Contact the writer: tburt@ocregister.com
