Reseda Plods to Victory Over Birmingham

The battle for bragging rights along Victory Boulevard between neighborhood rivals Reseda and Birmingham highs was won by the favored team--Reseda--but whether the Regents brag about the victory along Victory remains to be seen.

Reseda plodded to a 14-10 victory over Birmingham, a team some thought shouldn’t have been on the same field as the Regents.

“Reseda has as much talent as Granada Hills,” Birmingham co-Coach Tom Richards said before the game, adding that Reseda, the defending City Section 2-A champion, was going to make it a long night for his Braves.

Instead, the Braves made it difficult for Reseda.

Reseda Coach Joel Schaeffer promised that his team’s game plan would be no different than normal, but instead of grinding out rushing yardage, Reseda opened the game by putting the ball in the air.

Quarterback Coley Kyman threw a 64-yard pass to tight end David Wilson on the Regents’ first play from scrimmage. Three plays later, running back James Swindell scored on a six-yard sweep to put Reseda ahead, 7-0.

Birmingham mounted an impressive drive at the end of the first quarter. After the Braves moved the ball 47 yards on seven plays to the Reseda 11-yard line, Mike Burns kicked a 25-yard field goal to cut Reseda’s lead to 7-3.

In the third quarter, Reseda recovered Myron Settle’s fumble on the 20 and Regent running back Chris Vargas twice ran up the middle, the second for a 10-yard score.