INLAND FIELDHOUSE

I covered the Fontana Miller-Fontana varsity football game for the Riverside Press-Enterprise on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009 and came away thinking that I watched two teams going in entirely different directions.

Miller is on its way up. The Rebels (1-3 overall, 1-0 Citrus Belt League) shrugged off some early jitters and a 9-0 first-quarter deficit thanks, in part, to several big plays in the second quarter.

You can watch video of the game here.

Senior quarterback Juan Flores (5-foot-9, 175 pounds) ran 71 yards for a touchdown on an option play to open the second-quarter scoring. He finished with more than 150 rushing yards. Senior running back David Dash (5-9, 180) scampered 61 yards for a touchdown with a little over three minutes remaining in the half. He finished with more than 100 rushing yards.

While those long runs served to book-end the second quarter, it was a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown by Miller junior Kandall Chambliss (5-9, 170) that changed the game’s momentum. Following Flores’ 71-yarder, Fontana was facing third-and-12 when Chambliss intercepted a short pass from senior QB Manuel Salgado (5-9, 150) and took it the distance without even being touched. The score sent the Miller sideline into a frenzy.

Fontana, conversely, is on its way down. The Steelers (2-2, 0-1) managed less than 60 rushing yards despite averaging more than 150 rushing yards in its three previous games. Senior running back Andrew Camarena (5-9, 165) was held to just 22 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. He came into the Thursday’s contest averaging 107 yards-per-game.

Salgado completed less than 50-percent of his passes (10-of-23) while throwing from a shotgun formation for most of the second half. He did complete three of his final four pass attempts — all to senior Daryl Castellon (5-7, 140) — for 65 yards.

Turnovers hurt the Steelers the most. Chambliss’s interception return gave Miller a two-touchdown lead while Salgado’s fumble in the third quarter halted what had been a 9-play, 66-yard drive. Miller capitalized on the turnover, with senior receiver Kenneth Bell (5-7, 175) scoring 13 plays later on a reverse handoff.