Behind the arm of junior quarterback Jordan Malikin, Warren football picked up its first win of the season beating La Mirada 27-13 in a Gateway League matchup.
Midway through the fourth quarter, La Mirada (2-4, 0-1) looked like it would climb back into the game when running back Ismael Garcia scored on a 10-yard touchdown run to cut the Warren lead to 20-13.
Malikin and his offense quickly went to work, and Warren (1-5, 1-0) responded with an 8-yard touchdown catch by Julian Padin to extend the lead to 27-13 and secure the win and handing La Mirada its fourth straight loss.
Malikin finished the game throwing for 190 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
“It took a week for us to reset on the bye week,” said Malikin. “We fought hard to the end. We got a good win today and it felt great.”
It was a neck-and-neck battle in the first half.
Warren head coach Adam Leonard said before the game that his team’s focal point was to score in the red zone.
“It’s about finishing drives. We haven’t lapsed in the red zone, but I feel like we prepared ourselves for our league,” said Leonard before kickoff.
The Bears’ offense looked ready.
Warren jumped to a quick 10-0 lead in the second quarter.
Facing a fourth down punt, La Mirada’s special teams snapped the ball over the head of punter Cristian Hecker. Warren senior defensive back Richard Nichols recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown and the 7-0 lead.
The Bears followed it on their next offensive possession with a 13-yard field goal by kicker Abraham Morales.
La Mirada finally responded midway through the second with a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Ace Faagata.
With just over two minutes to go in the half, the Bears’ offense drove down the field looking to add to the lead. Just as they got near the red zone, junior quarterback Jordan Malikin was intercepted by La Mirada linebacker Anthony Franco to keep the score at 10-7.
The Bears came out of the half swinging in the second half, scoring 10 straight points in the third quarter on the Matadores.
Malikin found receiver Dylan Thompson in the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown and later Morales put a 26-yard field goal through the uprights to make it 20-7.
Despite the Matadores’ offensive efforts in the fourth quarter, Warren’s offense proved to be superior. The Bears finished the night with 325 yards of total offense, while La Mirada only managed 176 total yards.
“I’m just really excited about this one today. Our big thing is focusing on us,” said Leonard. “We are an inexperienced team. It’s just getting those reps. We’re going to get better at closing. I expect that it’s going to be more as we finish up the season.”
Warren will host Dominguez on Friday, October 10.
La Mirada be on the road against Downey on Friday, October 10.