HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL : Rosales’ Run Leads Los Altos

Hacienda Heights Los Altos found Walnut High’s Achilles’ heel last season. Their meeting this season was no different.

Los Altos upset Walnut, 20-13, Friday night in a Miramonte League game at Nogales High.

Ben Rosales ran up the middle for a 13-yard touchdown with 24 seconds remaining in the game and quarterback Darren Merrill completed a pass to Matt Chittick for the conversion and the victory.

Walnut (6-1, 1-1 in league play) is top-ranked and Los Altos (6-1, 2-0 in league) is ranked fifth in this week’s Southern Section Division VI poll.

The game was expected to be a showdown between quarterbacks, but a rainy night put a damper on the passing game, especially during the second half.

Los Altos’ Darren Merrill completed nine of 19 passes for 114 yards and one touchdown. He was five of 11 for 56 yards during the second half.

Walnut’s Tommy Vazquez was 13 of 24 for 197 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.

Vazquez also scored Walnut’s other touchdown, on a three-yard run.

Los Altos started the scoring with field goals of 15 and 24 yards by Brian Gleason.

Merrill completed a 23-yard pass to Tom Rosser--but Merrill’s conversion pass attempt failed--to give Los Altos a 12-0 lead with 7:58 remaining in the half.

Vazquez scored on a sneak with 2:34 remaining in the half to put Walnut’s first points on the board. The conversion was good.

Rosales fumbled at the Los Altos 36-yard line to set up Vazquez’s touchdown pass to Tod McBride, and Walnut held a 13-12 lead at halftime.

But Rosales redeemed his fumble with the winning touchdown. Rosales rushed for 60 yards in 15 carries, after getting only seven yards in three carries during the first half.

Before Friday night, Walnut’s closest game this season was a 13-6 victory over Rowland.

Last season, Los Altos beat Walnut, 14-7.