Football Recap: South Pasadena Turns Things Around After Road Loss

There's no place like home for South Pasadena, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They came out on top against the Franklin Panthers by a score of 42-35 on Friday. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Tigers considering their 13-point performance the match before.

Trey Freking

Rushing Touchdowns (Career)

09/19/25 vs Franklin	4
08/29/25 @ Arcadia	3
10/17/24 vs Monrovia	3
08/21/25 vs El Segundo	2
10/25/24 vs Temple City	2

It was another big night for Trey Freking, who rushed for 288 yards and four scores while picking up 8.2 yards per carry. Those four rushing touchdowns gave him a new career-high. Toshio Matsuoka got in on the action too, returning a kick for a touchdown.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: South Pasadena was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 307 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.

Special teams also deserves some recognition, posting 12 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Matsuoka, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.

Several Panthers players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Albert Cardenas, who threw for 257 yards and four touchdowns. Cardenas is crushing it when it comes to passing touchdowns: he's passed for at least three every time he's taken the field this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Jayden Steele, who picked up 120 receiving yards and a pair of TDs.

South Pasadena's record now sits at 2-3. As for Franklin, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-1.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. South Pasadena will head out to square off against West Covina at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Tigers will be up against the Bulldogs' rather soft defense (which has allowed 25.5 points per contest), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance. As for Franklin, they will venture away from home to take on San Marino at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Panthers' defense better be ready for this one: the Titans have averaged an impressive 28.2 points per game this season.