Football: Tesoro 35, Rancho Verde 20

Tesoro’s victory last week over La Mirada was one of the best of the weekend for Orange County teams, and the Titans’ second-half comeback on Friday was just as impressive, if not more.

Score: Tesoro 35, Moreno Valley Rancho Verde 20

Key Stats: Devon Modster passed for 152 yards and also ran for a touchdowns. His 13-yard pass to Gunner Garn gave Tesoro a 21-20 lead. His 1-yard run with 5:00 left in the game provided a 35-20 advantage.

Pivotal Moment: Jon Rivera, who rushed for 208 yards and scored four touchdowns a week earlier—and 30 yards for a TD in the first quarter—was out of the game with a leg bruise. Tesoro had clawed back in the third quarter but with a 21-20 lead, it was still anybody’s game to seize. And that’s what Matt Sylvester did, breaking off a 57-yard touchdown run that finally gave the Titans a cushion, 28-21, with 7:43 remaining.

Records: Tesoro (2-0), Rancho Verde (1-1)

Notes: If Sylvester’s run was the most pivotal moment, Wes McQuaid’s 70-yard TD burst 91 seconds into the second half was a razor-thin second. The Titans were down, 20-7 at halftime and their stud, Rivera, was out of the game. McQuaid's long score set the tone for the second half.… McQuaid rushed 21 times for 147 yards, almost all in the second half. Rivera carried 14 for 87. ...  Rancho Verde was No. 1 in the Southern Section Central Division V ranking.  … The Titan defense did an outstanding job in the second half by shutting out Rancho Verde, which scored 42 points a week earlier against Wildomar Elsinore. ... Much of the hole dug by the Titans in the first half was because of penalties and turnovers. ... Tesoro, ranked No. 9 in Orange County, plays host to Chino Hills (1-1) next Friday. Chino Hills was beaten, 47-42, by La Puente Bishop Amat, which last week beat Santa Margarita, 38-28.

• View photos from Tesoro's victory over Rancho Verde
• Read about Tesoro's victory over La Mirada
• Read the South Coast League Preview