Faith Lutheran, quarterback bounce back against Spring Creek

Joe Portaro admitted he was a little nervous of what might happen after he suffered a minor left calf injury Friday night.

But after missing a play while being worked on by trainers, the Faith Lutheran sophomore quarterback was back on the field.

Portaro threw for 205 yards and three touchdowns in a gutsy performance that saw the Crusaders rally for a 31-21 home win over Spring Creek.

“I was a little bit nervous, but after I looked out at my team and noticed that my team really needed me out there, I was like, 'I’ve gotta get in there,’” Portaro said. “And the coaches were pumping me up. They were saying, 'Get in there, you’re tough,’ and that’s exactly what I told myself and got right back out there.”

Filling in for injured regular starter David Sperry, Portaro was nearly perfect down the stretch.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 180-pounder completed 15 of his final 16 pass attempts and finished 19-for-26 overall with one interception. He also carried 11 times for 61 yards and a touchdown, nailed a 26-yard field goal and booted four extra points.

“He’s a tough kid who is a competitor, and when it’s time to compete, whether it’s practice or on Friday nights, he’s going to be ready to go,” Faith Lutheran coach Jacob Kothe said of Portaro.

Portaro hooked up with sophomore receiver Don Pearson seven times for 86 yards and two scores.

Portaro’s clinching touchdown pass to Brette Lubbe, a 20-yarder, came with 5:16 remaining.

The Crusaders (2-0) overcame a 14-0 first-quarter deficit and 229 rushing yards by the Spartans (1-1).

Spring Creek running back Zach Smith carried 21 times for 184 yards and two touchdowns, but had to be helped off the field early in the third quarter with an apparent left leg injury. He did not return.

Sperry, a two-way star being recruited by San Diego, Brown, Southern Utah and Navy, sat out with cracked upper ribs. Kothe said “it could be a couple weeks” before Sperry is able to return.