On Friday, Nov. 16, the Garden Grove High football team defeated Segerstrom 49-21 in the second round of the CIF Southern Division playoffs. For the Argonauts, fullback Maze Masoe ran for four touchdowns, a career best, and finished with 78 yards.
“My brother (Siione Masoe) is the runner,” Masoe said. “I’m usually blocking for him.”
On Friday, Nov. 16, the Garden Grove High football team defeated Segerstrom 49-21 in the second round of the CIF Southern Division playoffs. For the Argonauts, fullback Maze Masoe ran for four touchdowns, a career best, and finished with 78 yards.
“My brother (Siione Masoe) is the runner,” Masoe said. “I’m usually blocking for him.”
In all, Garden Grove, which won its seventh straight game, combined for 251 rushing yards. Running back C.J. Del Real delivered a game-high 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Sione Masoe contributed 52 yards.
Garden Grove (10-2) will now face Laguna Beach in the semifinal round. That will take place at Garden Grove high on Friday, Nov. 23. The contest will start at 7:30 p.m.
“We haven’t seen them (Laguna Beach) play this year,” Garden Grove head coach Willy Puga said. “We will exchange tapes, though, and go to work.”
Despite the final score the Argonauts had their hands full early in the game. Though they grabbed the lead when Masoe pounded in a 1-yard score, the Jaguars quickly responded as receiver David Perkins caught a 60-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-all before the close of the first quarter.
However, the Argonauts quickly regained the lead in the second quarter with a pair of scores. Masoe earned the first with a 1-yarder and Del Real legged a 5-yard touchdown to push the Argonauts ahead 21-7 before the end of the first half.
The Argonauts refused to slow down in the second half as Masoe scored another 1-yarder and a 12-yard touchdown. Danny Ocampo also notched a touchdown, recovering a bad snap in the end zone during the fourth quarter.
Before the game the Argonauts warmed up by doing the Haka dance, which drew cheers from the stands. The team had learned the dance during the previous week’s practice.
Rodolfo Vargas led the team during their rendition of the dance.
“It’s a warrior’s dance,” he said. “It gets us ready for the game.”
