Explosive First Half Propels Pasadena To League-Opening Victory

The Bulldogs celebrate their league-opening win over Glendale last week before taking on Crescenta Valley (4-0) on Friday. – Courtesy photo / Twitter, @PasHSFootball

By Aaron Valdez

After suffering a brutal 42-7 loss to San Marino in its first game of the season, the Bulldogs of Pasadena football have not looked back since.

The team is currently riding a three-game winning streak, including a 14-12 win over Maranatha, a 30-28 win over Pioneer and most recently a huge 48-7 win over Glendale in their Pacific League opener.

Despite coming off its first season win last Friday, Glendale proved to be no match for a much more polished Pasadena squad that it hasn’t beat since 2013. The Bulldogs’ offense ran rampant on Glendale, exploding for 34 unanswered points in the first half.

Quarterback Andrea Solling was the ringleader in Pasadena’s onslaught as he threw 11 of 16 for 188 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. WB Jeremiah Hutchins also had himself a solid outing, meshing well with Solling while leading all receivers with four catches, 81 yards and two touchdowns.

However, the most notable play of the night arguably came from Mekhi Fox when he returned a Glendale punt for 60 yards.

The victory improved Pasadena’s overall record to 3-1, which is only one win behind Crescenta Valley (4-0) for best record in the Pacific League. Fittingly, Pasadena and Crescenta Valley will duke it out on Friday to decide who will retain sole possession of first place in the standings.