Goldstein runs his way past Bell-Jeff

Flintridge Prep running back Zach Goldstein seemed a bit uneasy

before Saturday night’s nonleague game against Bellarmine-Jefferson

High, as he tried to probe information about the Guards while warming

up on the sidelines.

He had nothing to worry about.

Goldstein ripped apart the Guards’ defense, rushing for 237 yards

in 22 carries with two touchdowns -- including scores of 87 and 65

yards -- as the Flintridge Prep football team held off Bell-Jeff,

21-12, at Duarte High.

“It’s just my third varsity game,” the junior said after his

stellar performance. “I haven’t gotten away the bugs.”

Goldstein added his offensive line should be credited with helping

him rack up all those yards.

“The blocking was good,” he said. “I looked for my hole and

everything worked out. Once I got in the open field, I could use my

speed.”

Flintridge Prep Coach Brad Miller said you’d never know whether

Goldstein was nervous or ecstatic.

“He’s got the best poker face on the team,” Miller said of

Goldstein. “Whether he’s happy or he’s hurt, he has the same face.”

Coming off a season-opening loss two weeks ago, Bell-Jeff tried to

revamp its offense, Coach Rolando Aguirre said. Bell-Jeff’s offense

worked early against the Rebels, as the Guards dominated the first

quarter, having possession of the ball for 11 minutes, 46 seconds.

Bell-Jeff (0-2) struck first, as wide receiver Xavier Avila scored

on a 5-yard run to cap an 80-yard, 12-play drive, giving the Guards a

6-0 lead.

Miller admitted the Guards’ offense, which utilized a lot of

reverses and fakes, kept the Rebels on their toes.

“[Bell-Jeff] threw us a huge curve with a double-wing,

double-tight [end] offense, which defenses need a month to prepare

for,” Miller said. “So that’s a credit to our team’s intellectual

ability to adjust on the run and play a new defense. They held their

own through that tumultuous first quarter.”

“Once we settled down to playing our game offensively, our players

got back into their comfort zone.”

After giving up that initial touchdown to Bell-Jeff, it took just

one play from scrimmage for the Rebels to get on the board. Goldstein

took a hand-off at the Rebels’ own 13-yard line and rushed through

the middle for an 87-yard score to put his team in front, 7-6.

“We allowed the big runs,” Aguirre said. “What happened to our

secondary? We didn’t do what we had to do. We fumbled the ball, made

dumb penalties.” We keep shooting ourselves in the foot.”

Flintridge Prep (2-1) added to its lead before halftime. After

recovering a Bell-Jeff fumble on the Guard 37-yard line, Goldstein

capped off an eight-play drive with his second touchdown run of the

game, this one from 5 yards out.

The Rebels made it 21-6 with just over 11 minutes left when

Goldstein faked a reverse to the left and sprinted 65 yards into the

end zone.

Bell-Jeff tried to come back on its next possession. The Guards

moved the ball on the ground 73 yards in nine plays with Paolo Islip

scoring from the 8-yard line to cut the lead to nine with 6:34 to

play.

“I’m really proud how we moved the ball,” said Aguirre, whose

Guards managed just one yard on offense in the first half in its loss

to Santa Clara High two weeks ago. “I think they’re getting better.

This is getting us ready for [Santa Fe League play]. This is all

preseason. We’re still not there because this was only our second

game and this is other teams’ third or fourth game.”