WOODLAND HILLS — In an absolute nail-biter that went down to the final play, the Canoga Park football team hung on to get its first win under head coach Randy Luna.
Led by Ryan Varillas’ 16-yard touchdown run, the Hunters beat the Reseda Regents, 14-12, in Reseda’s homecoming game Thursday night.
Luna was ecstatic to get over the hump.
“It’s a blessing. I came here for one reason, and that was to teach my players to be men on and off the field,” Luna said. “I also love and appreciate my coaches for their hard work. For me, it’s about changing lives and giving everything I have.”
Canoga Park got off to a strong start when Salvador Valdez opened the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead.
Reseda responded in the second quarter when Michael Moreno connected with Jafet Contreras for a 19-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt failed and Canoga Park led 7-6.
In the second half, Moreno connected again with Contreras for a 6-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion failed again, putting Reseda up 12-7.
To start the fourth quarter, Varillas gave Canoga Park the lead again on a 16-yard touchdown run and an extra point to put Canoga Park ahead 14-12 with 9:29 left in the game.
Varillas credits his teammates.
“First win after a 0-6 start. I feel fantastic. My guys went crazy tonight. I give all the glory to God. I want to give a shoutout to my line and blockers because if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have scored,” Varillas said.
With one minute left in the game, Reseda took over after Canoga Park was forced to punt.
On the final play with less than 15 seconds remaining, Reseda’s Moreno tried to convert with one of his open receivers, but the pass was incomplete, which sealed the win for Canoga Park.
Luna said it was amazing to finally get in the win column.
“We went through many trials and tribulations,” Luna said. “I think with the three games that we lost by close margins, I feel this is a testament of our capabilities, and I’m proud of these men.”
Luna has one goal in mind as the team heads into its final stretch of games.
“For me, it’s about finishing strong. Still being in sync with one another. I show up as if we were 0-0 and we are going to get that win. I have seen a lot of positives since the Arleta game,” Luna said.
Reseda head coach Reginald Tyson said he was disappointed to give the game away.
“We gave them the game. It came down to who made the fewest mistakes or crucial mistakes, and we made a little bit more,” Tyson said.
With the win, Canoga Park improved to 1-6 overall, 1-2 in league play, while Reseda dropped to 1-5 overall, 0-3 in league play.
Canoga Park is on the road next Friday to face Van Nuys, while Reseda has a bye week and returns on Oct. 16 to also face Van Nuys. Both games are at 7 p.m.