It had been 12 games since Dougherty Valley had beaten Las Lomas to open the 2016 season, but the Wildcats’ got that winning feeling back on Friday night, taking down San Lorenzo in overtime, 22-21.
San Lorenzo scored on the first possession of overtime, with the extra-point giving the Rebels a 21-14 lead. Dougherty Valley (1-3) came right back, though, and appeared to tie the game when Josh Sahgal punched in the quarterback sneak from the one-yard line, making it 21-20. Wildcats coach Nick Tisa sent the kicking unit out to the field for the game-tying extra point, but San Lorenzo jumped offsides on the attempt, causing him to re-think his strategy and send the offense back on the field for a two-point conversion attempt.
“We just decided to go for the win at that point,” Tisa said. “I wanted to put the ball in the hands of my senior running back to get the job done.”
Those hands belonged to Chris Thompson, who ran for over 100 yards in the game, shouldering the load with junior Xavier Coleman sidelined due to injury. Thompson did indeed get it done, plowing into the end zone for the game-winning conversion.
Thompson and junior Steven Bratcher each scored during regulation for the Wildcats, in a back-and-forth game.
“We needed this win pretty bad,” Tisa added. “It had been a long time coming for us.”
Dougherty Valley hosts Livermore next Friday, as the Wildcats return to EBAL action. San Lorenzo (3-2) is off next week before starting WACC-Shoreline play against Hayward on October 6.
Miramonte stays unbeaten with win over Alhambra
Senior Peter Stehr ran for two touchdowns, and Matt Meredith’s 60-yard pass to Will Cassriel early in the fourth quarter put the finishing touches on Miramonte’s 21-7 win over Alhambra on Friday night.
The Matadors (5-0) took the lead midway through the first quarter when Stehr scored from 10 yards out, which would prove to be the only score of the first half.
Alhambra (2-2) tied the game in the third quarter, driving 70 yards, capped by an 18-yard scoring pass from Aaron Hern to Daniel Boyd. The Matadors quickly regained the lead on the next possession, however, when Stehr added to his night with a 15-yard touchdown run, capping a 71-yard drive.
The Bulldogs threatened to tie the game again early in the fourth quarter, but Miramonte recovered a fumble on the six-yard line, and soon after, Meredith and Cassriel hooked up for the back-breaking score.
Miramonte is off next week before opening DAL-Foothill play at Clayton Valley, while Alhambra plays at San Marin next Saturday afternoon, in a game that had been rescheduled.
Fourth quarter field goal lifts Liberty past Tracy
Junior Jake Creuteu’s field goal, nine seconds into the fourth quarter, proved to be the difference in a hard-fought, back-and-forth game between the host Lions and visiting Tracy on Friday night, in a 24-21 Liberty victory.
Tracy had tied the game at 21 on an eight-yard scoring by Ethan Bejines, with 2:43 remaining in the third quarter, but made the mistake on its next possession of going for it on fourth down, from its own 46-yard line. The Lions’ defense came up with the big stop, enabling them to take advantage of good field possession to march into field goal range and get the crucial three points.
The visiting Bulldogs took an early lead in the game, when Kristien Reyes scored from 10 yards out with less than a minute to play in the first quarter, capping a 68-yard drive and giving Tracy a 7-0 advantage.
Midway through the second quarter, however, it was a Tracy miscue which got Liberty (4-1) right back in the game. The Bulldogs fumbled the ball from their own 10-yard line, and Liberty recovered on the two. Quarterback Ryan Dutt punched it in from there, tying the game at seven, midway through the period.
The next Tracy possession was even more disastrous for the Bulldogs, as Sione Vaki intercepted sophomore quarterback Logan Fife, and returned the ball for a touchdown, giving Liberty its first lead of the night, 14-7. The Lions then recovered the ensuing kickoff, taking over at the Tracy 15-yard line, but this time the Bulldogs’ defense stood tall, forcing a turnover on downs.
With under a minute to go in the first half, Liberty went for it on a fourth down from near midfield, but Tracy (3-2) held this time and took over at the Lions’ 45-yard line. With 25 seconds remaining in the second quarter, Bejines hit Trevion Shadrck-Harris for a 45-yard touchdown, tying the game at the break.
After another interception midway through the third quarter, sophomore quarterback Jay Butterfield hit Vaki for a 21-yard touchdown, putting the Lions back on top, 21-14. Tracy was not going away quietly, however, as Bejines tied the game once again.
“It was a gritty win, with missed opportunities and a little luck. Defense was stout and offense made plays when needed,” said Liberty coach Ryan Partridge. “We had multiple chances early to kick short field goals on fourth and long, and it was my mistake not sending (Jake) out earlier. The kid was clutch in the end and put a great boot on it.”
Liberty will head up Balfour Road next Friday night to take on rival Heritage in the first BVAL game of the season. Tracy is off next week before hosting Lodi on October 6.
Battle of 880 Corridor belongs to San Leandro
Alvonte Thornton ran for three touchdowns, and Jermain Jackson added two more scores, as San Leandro rolled past James Logan, 41-0, on Friday night.
San Leandro (2-3) was on the board before its offense even hit the field on Friday, when Jackson returned a punt 40 yards for a touchdown, right after the Pirates’ defense held Logan (1-3) to three-and-out on the opening possession. The Pirates’ offense did get the ball after the next stop, but did not have it for long, as Thornton took a handoff 40 yards for a score on the first play from scrimmage, and then added the two-point conversion to make it 14-0 early in the game.
Thornton tacked on two more rushing scores in the first half, as the Pirates led 26-0 at the break.
Jackson broke loose for an 80-yard run in the third quarter, before quarterback Qiyam Islam capped the scoring with a touchdown pass to Devyn McKinney.
San Leandro is off next week before opening WACC-Foothill play at home against Castro Valley on October 6. Logan hosts Washington-Fremont next Friday.
Jackson’s big night lifts Berean past Salesian
Sophomore Justice Jackson is on his way to becoming a well-known name in the East Bay, especially if he keeps like he did on Friday night. Jackson ran for 210 yards on 19 carries and scored two touchdowns, leading Berean Christian past Salesian, 24-14.
Midway through the first quarter, however, it was older brother Jayden Jackson who hauled in a touchdown pass from quarterback Quincy Rhone, giving the Eagles a 7-0 lead on their Homecoming night. On the next Berean possession, Niko Iosefa ripped off a long run, and the younger Jackson then punctuated the drive with his first score of the night.
Just before the end of the first quarter, Justice Jackson capped an incredible first 12 minutes, going 50 yards on a sweep to give Berean an early 21-0 lead. Salesian came storming back in the second quarter, though, capitalizing on a blocked punt to cut the lead to 21-14 just before the end of the first half.
After a scoreless third quarter, Berean’s Tyler Werner added a crucial three points midway through the fourth quarter, putting the finishing touches on the Eagles’ victory, their first of the season.
Berean Christian (1-3) has next week off, before opening DAL-Valley play at Mt. Diablo. Salesian (0-3) hosts Richmond next Saturday.
