GAME OF THE WEEK : Bell Gardens Ambushes Montebello, 21-20

By SEAN WATERS

Oct. 31, 1993 12 AM PT

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Whenever Bell Gardens quarterback Ricky Oropeza threw the ball, he added excitement to the Friday night game against archrival Montebello. A couple of his passes even worked in the Lancers’ favor.

Oropeza completed only three of his seven passes, but two went for touchdowns as Bell Gardens upset Montebello, 21-20, in an Almont League game.

Oropeza’s most important pass came on fourth-and-three at Montebello’s three-yard line with 5:08 left.

Trailing 20-14, the Lancers tied the score when Oropeza drilled a pass to Tadeo Gonzalez. Luis Vasquez kicked the extra point for the margin of victory.

“I felt really shaky out there,” Oropeza said. “Our offensive line saved me. I felt like I had at least six seconds when I threw that touchdown pass.”

Oropeza nearly cost the Lancers the game in the third quarter when his lateral pass was fumbled and picked up by Guillermo Chavez, who returned it for a 32-yard touchdown. The Oilers took a 20-14 lead when quarterback Fred Montiel scored on a seven-yard run with three minutes left in the third quarter.

“We made some killer mistakes,” Bell Gardens Coach David Newell said. “This is a game where I thought we had it, lost it and the kids got it back.”

The only thing that was consistent was the running of Lancer tailback Junior Samano, who had 142 in 30 carries and scored two touchdowns. Samano scored on a one-yard run in the first quarter and on a seven-yard pass from Oropeza in the second.

Frank Lopez recovered a fumble at the Lancer 49 to set up the first touchdown. Samano carried six times during the nine-play drive, finishing off with a one-yard run off left guard.

Oropeza, who threw two interceptions in his first three attempts, completed his only pass in the first half to Samano for a seven-yard touchdown with 2:10 remaining.

BG--Samano 1 run (Vasquez kick)

M--J. Hernandez 6 pass from Montiel (pass failed)

BG--Samano 7 pass from Oropeza (Vasquez kick)

M--Chavez 32 fumble recovery (pass failed)

M--Montiel 7 run (J. Hernandez from Montiel)

BG--Gonzalez 3 pass from Oropeza (Vasquez kick)

Records: Bell Gardens 5-2-1; Montebello 6-2

Next week: San Gabriel at Bell Gardens.