LAKE VIEW TERRACE — The sweltering heat was as much of a factor as the Panorama Pythons on Friday night, but in the end, it was costly penalties and turnovers that doomed the Chavez Eagles in a 20-14 loss.

The game, which was delayed 30 minutes due to the extreme heat, saw both teams struggle with injuries due to cramping, and though neither offense has historically been particularly prolific, this night saw fewer than 10 passes attempted between both teams.

Panorama struck first in the opening quarter with a 6-0 lead, courtesy of a 20-yard touchdown run from senior running back Elmer Rivera. Rivera, not a traditional “big” running back, made up for it with his exceptional footwork, speed, and high football IQ. He is also a team captain for the Panorama team coached by Adrian Beltran.

Chavez, coached by Rodrigo Nunez, answered in the second quarter. A late-half collapse by the Panorama defense allowed Chavez to orchestrate an incredible 10-play drive that included a crucial pass interference call. The drive was capped off by a 20-yard keeper by junior quarterback Timothy Stamps, bringing the score to 14-6 and giving Chavez momentum heading into halftime.

The second half was a back-and-forth affair, with Chavez running a no-huddle offense for the majority of the half. However, costly errors plagued the team. First, the opening kickoff of the third quarter was returned for a touchdown, but the play was called back due to a penalty on the Eagles. Later in the quarter, a fumble on a kick return gave Panorama the ball back, and a costly turnover on a short run in the fourth quarter proved to be the final straw for Chavez.

Panorama capitalized on the turnover, with Rivera scoring his second touchdown of the night on a 55-yard run. The touchdown gave Panorama a 20-6 lead with less than nine minutes remaining in the game.

Chavez refused to give up, and with nine seconds left on the clock, substitute quarterback Rodolfo Lamos threw two long passes to bring the score to 20-12. Chavez was successful on their two-point conversion. They then attempted an onside kick, but Panorama recovered and ran out the clock to secure a 20-14 victory and put them at 1-0 on the season.

The win was especially sweet for Panorama, which lost 16 players to graduation from their 2024 CIF City Division 3 championship team. Chavez also lost 20 players to graduation, a factor that was evident in the close game. Both teams return to action on the road next Thursday evening, with kickoff set for 7:00 pm. Panorama will be visiting Manual Arts and Chavez will make the short trip to San Fernando High.

All photos by David Martinez