August 23, 2025 – Villa Park, CA — In a dramatic non-league showdown on Saturday night, the Villa Park Spartans held off a resilient Carson Colts squad, escaping with a 26-22 victory to open their season.
The game was a rollercoaster from start to finish, with both teams trading momentum in front of a crowd of more than 1,000 fans under clear skies in Villa Park.
Carson struck first with an early touchdown to take a 7-0 lead, but Villa Park answered with a quick scoring drive capped by a field goal, cutting the deficit to 7-8 by the end of the first quarter. The Spartans tacked on another field goal before halftime to take an 11-10 lead into the break.
The second half brought fireworks. Carson’s Curmon Williams electrified the crowd with a 50-yard kickoff return touchdown, pushing the Colts ahead 16-11. But Villa Park’s passing attack, led by quarterback Vince Lagatta and wideout Luvie Clark, responded with a 28-yard touchdown connection and a two-point conversion to regain the lead at 19-16.
Carson wasn’t finished. Quarterback Chris Fields III found Darren Panton for a 57-yard strike, giving the Colts a 22-19 advantage midway through the fourth quarter.
With time winding down, Villa Park dug deep. Lagatta engineered a methodical drive, capped by his own 1-yard rushing touchdown with under a minute to play. Kicker Liam Polk added the PAT, securing the Spartans’ 26-22 win.
Carson mounted one last push, crossing midfield in the final seconds, but the Spartan defense stiffened, forcing a turnover on downs to seal the victory.
With the win, Villa Park improves to 1-0 and will face Western (Anaheim, CA) next Friday in another non-league test. Carson (0-1) will look to regroup quickly when they battle Dorsey (Los Angeles, CA) on Thursday.
This one will be remembered as a classic early-season thriller, with Villa Park showing resilience and clutch execution when it mattered most.
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