Larsen's 221 yards, 3 touchdowns guide Downey

MERCED -- You would expect Ian Larsen's first reaction would be to take off running the moment quarterback Mason Hennigan gave him the ball Saturday.

Instead, Downey High's senior halfback stood there when Hennigan discreetly reached around and tucked the ball in his arms.

It wasn't until Golden Valley's defenders raced past him, assuming Hennigan had the ball, that Larsen lifted his head and ran.

By the time the Cougars realized who had the ball, it was too late: Larsen was well on his way to a 66-yard touchdown run that allowed the Knights to open the season with a 40-32 win over Golden Valley.

"Golden Valley has great pursuit on defense, so we ran a draw play to take advantage of that," Downey coach Jeremy Plaa said. "It's real team play because everyone has to do their part."

With the linemen funneling defenders into lanes and Hennigan carrying out the fake as he rolled to his right, Larsen had plenty of open field as he started running.

"Everyone has to sell the play as pass for it to work, and I think we all did," said a smiling Larsen, who had 18 carries for three TDs and a career-high 221 yards.

"People might see me running with the ball, but it's not just me out there," Larsen noted. "If the linemen don't funnel the defense I don't have the room to run."

It worked so well that Downey ran it again on its next possession, on first-and-14 at the GV 17. Again Larsen delayed and again defense ran past him, before he began running for a 17-yard TD.

That was Larsen's final score and made it 33-17 midway through the third. GV got two late TDs, a 65-yard run by James McCabe and a 95-yard pass from Matt Martin to Adrian Abarca, before Downey ran out the clock.

GV had a chance to get back in the game following Larsen's third TD, but turnovers -- the Cougars made five of them -- let Downey maintain its cushion:

Matt Galton ripped the ball from GV's Ralph Vasquez at Downey's 15-yard line late in the third quarter. Vasquez had just caught a pass and appeared off to the end zone, but Galton pried the ball loose and jumped on it.

Downey reached 40 points when, after another turnover, Hennigan flipped a 6-yard TD to Nikko Nakai -- the second time they connected on a TD play. Kyle Robinson's kick made it 40-17.

"We had established the passing game early, and that kept the defense coming after me when I dropped back," said Hennigan, 7 of 12 for 110 yards. "If the defense has to respect the pass, that draw play can really work well."

Downey dominated the opening quarter, using GV turnovers set up its first two touchdowns.

Moments after Jesus Oseguera fell on a loose ball at the GV 14, Hennigan bulled in from the 1 to get Downey going. Shane Galton ended GV's next possession by intercepting a pass at midfield.

Hennnigan quickly hit Nakai with a 30-yard TD, then Robinson's kick made it 14-0. Downey made it 20-0 late in the first quarter when Larsen took a conventional hand-off and, after breaking three tackles, cut to the sideline and outran the defense for a 77-yard touchdown run.

GV got within 20-17 late in the first half and had a chance to tie it, but Phillip Greenberg's field goal attempt from 36 yards was wide right as the half ended.

Bee staff writer Richard T. Estrada can be reached at restrada@modbee.com or 578-2300.