Drenched in sweat and tears, Diego Montes could finally gasp for air in the sweltering heat of the San Fernando Valley summer.
It wasn’t the high-90s heat that lingered through the three-plus hour City Section showdown Friday night that left the five-foot-11 senior quarterback of Granada Hills Kennedy emotional, burrowed into family members’ arms after the game ended. Montes had just surged into the end zone for a winning five-yard rushing touchdown — the last of a career-best seven-touchdown performance — in a 59-56 triumph over Eagle Rock and quarterback Liam Pasten.
If Friday served as a litmus test for the City Section squads, both vying for league titles (Eagle Rock in the Northern League and Kennedy in the Mission League), their quarterbacks more than met the challenge.
An hour before kickoff, three Kennedy students called Montes over to the football field’s side gate.
“How many touchdowns are you going to score tonight?” one student asked.
Montes replied: “I got five.”
He didn’t just secure five. His seven scores — three passing and four rushing — combined with his 280 passing yards and 164 rushing yards helped Kennedy rally, even when the Golden Cougars trailed by two scores at two points in the game.
“That’s the most tired I’ve ever been in a game,” said Montes, who scored the winning touchdown with just 11 seconds remaining. “My last first game. It means so much to me.”
Montes connected with Jay Saucillo three times — the last of which placed Kennedy ahead 51-50 with 4:11 left.
Pasten, who tallied 389 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown against the Golden Cougars, had more than enough time to strike back. Battling blow for blow with Montes — who earned All-City honors alongside Pasten a year ago — the Eagles senior tossed a 15-yard touchdown to Aidan Sierra to give Eagle Rock a 56-51 lead with 1:11 left.
“I was in the twilight zone for a little bit,” Kennedy coach Troy Cassidy said about the back-and-forth battle. “It was such a hot day today and just draining. And there were so many plays run between two no-huddle offenses.”
While Pasten is well on his way of surpassing the 36 passing touchdowns he had last season ultimately couldn’t lead Eagle Rock to victory, he embraced Montes after the game and complimented him on his standout performance.
Montes jogged to Eagle Rock’s sideline as the team prepared for the bus ride home, making a beeline for Eagles coach Andy Moran to shake his hand.
For Pasten and Montes, this is what the City Section is all about.
“Don’t underestimate us,” Pasten said. “A lot of people look towards that Southern Section, but I mean, City Section players got heart. They battle every game. So just don’t, don’t underestimate the talent.”
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