The Ayala Bulldogs came into Week 2 looking to change the narrative. Facing the visiting South Hills Huskies, Ayala was aiming to bounce back from an opening-week loss to Summit and hand first-year head coach Todd Quinsey his first signature victory—a win that would snap a taxing 20-game losing streak for the program.

Instead, a late fourth-quarter touchdown and a crucial final-minute goal-line stand allowed South Hills to escape with a thrilling 20-17 non-league victory on Friday night.

After a scoreless opening quarter, Ayala (0-2) struck first midway through the second. On a 2nd-and-10 from their own 46-yard line, senior quarterback Evan Meza connected with Mason Elijio on a 34-yard pass to advance to the South Hills 20. The Huskies’ defense held firm, forcing a 4th-and-10, but junior kicker Justin Jimenez split the uprights on a 37-yard field goal to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead with 6:47 left before halftime.

South Hills (1-1) answered with a sustained drive late in the half. Senior quarterback Fabian Marez handed off to sophomore running back Jorge Aldaco, who punched it into the end zone to push the Huskies ahead 7-3 with 57 seconds remaining in the quarter.

The Bulldogs engineered a rapid two-minute drill in response. With just 16 seconds remaining in the half, Meza dropped back into the shotgun, faked a pump, and dropped a touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez, who made a spectacular catch in the end zone over a South Hills defender. Ayala took a 10-7 advantage into the locker room.

South Hills opened the second half with momentum. Driving down to the Ayala 15-yard line, Marez sidestepped defensive pressure on 1st-and-10 and completed a play-action pass to senior receiver Jacob Gallardo, who broke a tackle at the 10 and reached across the goal line for a touchdown, putting South Hills back in front 14-10 with 7:28 left in the third quarter.

Ayala turned to sophomore quarterback Blake Emanuele for the second half, and the move paid immediate dividends late in the third. Set up at the South Hills 41-yard line on 1st-and-10, Emanuele fired a pass to the left flat to a wide-open Gonzalez, who raced into the end zone for his second touchdown of the contest. The strike gave Ayala a 17-14 lead with 1:25 remaining in the frame.

The decisive moment came late in the fourth quarter. Facing 2nd-and-12 from the Ayala 33-yard line, Marez found senior wideout Maxal Rodriguez down the middle for a 33-yard touchdown pass with 3:36 left on the clock, regaining a 20-17 advantage for South Hills.

Refusing to fold, Ayala marched down to the South Hills 25-yard line on the ensuing drive. Facing 4th down with the game on the line, the Bulldogs were unable to convert, turning the ball over on downs with 27 seconds left and allowing the Huskies to run out the remaining time.

Meza and Emanuele combined to go 8-for-19 for 177 yards and two touchdowns passing for Ayala. Gonzalez hauled in four receptions for 97 yards and two scores, while Elijio racked up 87 total yards on seven touches.

For South Hills, Marez completed 16 of 29 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns. Rodriguez paced the Huskies’ receiving corps with seven catches for 93 yards and two scores, while Justun Jimenez added 68 rushing yards on 13 carries.

“I thought the biggest series was when we were up 3 in the fourth and put together a good drive and couldn’t finish,” Coach Quinsey said following the game. “We go up 10 and the game’s likely over. Mason Elijio was a beast on both sides of the ball. Evan Meza, Anthony Gonzalez, and Blake Emanuele all had big plays on offense. Overall, proud of the effort, not of the result. But we keep getting better each day.”

South Hills travels to face the Diamond Ranch Panthers (0-2) next Friday at 7 p.m. Ayala returns home next Thursday night to host the Chino Cowboys (1-1) in the Orel Hershiser Chevrolet Classic, with kickoff set for 7 p.m.

Game Photos

Photos taken by Anthony Sarinana