HIGH SCHOOL FOOTTBALL PLAYOFFS : San Pedro’s Defense Keys 16-0 Win : City Section: Defending champion Pirates have to battle to advance to 3-A semifinal game, where they will play Reseda.

Roosevelt High was one of the smallest teams San Pedro has played, but the Roughriders were far from a pushover Wednesday night.

San Pedro managed to come away with a 16-0 victory in the City Section 3-A Division quarterfinal playoff game at Daniels Field.

“Those guys were so little, I could barely see them,” San Pedro quarterback Chris Pappas said. “There linemen must have been 3-foot-5, but those guys were tough. We knew we would be in for a game.”

The 6-1, 196-pound Pappas completed three of six passes for 101 yards and Lindsey Moore rushed for 76 yards in 15 carries for San Pedro (11-1). The Pirates have won seven consecutive games.

Moore scored on a three-yard run to end a 74-yard drive and give the Pirates a 10-0 lead with 1 minute 10 seconds left before halftime.

Pappas connected on a 70-yard touchdown pass to tight end Steve Sullivan for a 16-0 lead with 10:52 to play in the third quarter.

Pirate tailback Rick Ponce gained 47 yards in 11 carries and Jeff Williams, returning from a thigh injury, added 28 yards in eight carries.

San Pedro outgained Roosevelt (6-5-1), 245-185, but the Pirates needed to rely heavily on defense to advance to a Dec. 3 semifinal game against Reseda (9-3), which defeated Manual Arts, 25-14.

San Pedro’s defense forced four turnovers and cornerback Bryan Casteneda had two interceptions and recovered a fumble at the Roosevelt two-yard line late in the first quarter.

“They just came out playing hard and we couldn’t get anything on offense,” Casteneda said. “We had to get it on defense.”

The 5-8, 155-pound Casteneda has six interceptions this season.

A 40-yard interception return to the Roosevelt 30-yard line by Mike Lennox on the game’s opening drive helped the defending the 3-A champion Pirates take a 3-0 lead on a 43-yard field goal by Mike DiMassa with 7:37 left in the first quarter.

Frank Medina completed 10 of 22 passes for 65 yards and Juan Rodriguez had 34 yards in 15 carries for Central League runner-up Roosevelt.

“They pulled some things on us we didn’t expect,” San Pedro Coach Mike Walsh said. “They really surprised us. Getting past the quarterfinals is always the hardest.”

Leading 16-0 and facing fourth down with the ball on the one-yard line, Pappas was stopped on a sneak.

“We scouted San Pedro and we knew we would have to play a perfect game or we would get slaughtered,” Roosevelt assistant Al Pidilla said.