SAN JOSE - Alisal forced a Branham safety in the fourth quarter to put away the game, representing their dominant defense in the second half that carried them to a 30-7 victory in the first round of the CCS Football Division IV playoffs. The victory was Alisal’s first in the post-season.
The safety made the score 23-7 and stopped a Branham (7-4) drive. Alisal, who was seeded sixth, used the next possession after the Branham punt to quickly drive down the field and score on Gabriel Rangel’s 15-yard run to extend the lead to 30-7 and end third-seeded Branham’s chances of winning.
Branham opened the game strong, as they drove down the field after a short punt, leading to Nolan Gallagher’s 13 yard rushing touchdown. Soon after, the Bruins were able to recover an Alisal fumble.
However, Alisal (7-4) took over from there, forcing a Branham stop and running the ball consistently to tie the game up on a four-yard touchdown from Thomas Martinez a few minutes before halftime.
“We were a bit rusty to begin the game,” said quarterback Andrew Marquez. “We had three weeks off, but we were able to keep it close, which inspired us at halftime to push forward.”
Alisal started the second half on offense, and proceeded onto an 82-yard drive that took 12 minutes, with only rushing attempts. Marquez finally scored on a four-yard keeper to take the lead.
Alisal’s defense led them through the rest of the half, as they forced Branham to punt after a sack, and then used the short field for Marquez to score on another short run.
Then, the safety and subsequent score all but finished the game, and Alisal earned its first ever playoff victory.
Alisal’s stifling defense didn’t allow Branham a first down in the second half, and their rushing attack had both Marquez and Martinez rush for over 100 yards, with Marquez running for two touchdowns and Martinez running for one.
“The linemen did a great job today,” said Marquez. “Me and the running backs always had holes to run through, which got us a win. They were great.”
Alisal will play second-seeded Christopher (9-2), who beat Cupertino 51-7 in the first round, in the semifinals on Friday, November 24.
“We worked hard during our three weeks off,” explained Marquez. “I’m a senior now, so I didn’t want this to be our last game, and hopefully we can go far in CCS.”
SCORING SUMMARY
B - Gallagher 13 yd run (Pesavento kick)
A - Martinez 4 yard run (Rangel kick)
A - Marquez 4 yard run (Rangel kick)
A - Marquez 6 yd run (Rangel kick)
A - Safety
A - 15 yd run (Rangel kick)
