It was a great weekend on the gridiron for local football teams,
as both Analy and El Molino posted lopsided victories over
pre-season opponents.
The Lions (2-0) are on the verge of their best start in seven
years and resume play this Friday, Sept. 17 when they host Elsie
Allen in their home opener (5/7:30 p.m.), while the Tigers travel
to Balboa of San Francisco on Saturday, Sept. 18 for a 2 p.m.
clash.
Lions overcome heat, Pirates
El Mo has shown a penchant for playing its best football when
the mercury soars above 85 degrees, and that was certainly the case
at Drake on Saturday.
The Lions silenced a partisan San Anselmo crowd with a strong
showing, vanquishing the Pirates with a big-play offense and a
suffocating defensive effort.
The Lion’s 2-0 start to the season has already equaled their win
total for all of last season, but is being tempered with guarded
optimism by the El Mo coaching staff.
“We’re excited about the start, but our expectation level has
been higher this year than in the past,” noted El Mo veteran head
coach Mike Roan. “We went into the Drake game thinking that we were
the better team, so we expected to come out of there with a
win.”
El Mo had its share of heroes on Saturday, as senior quarterback
Mike Pierson and senior all-purpose receiver Joe Douglass turned
the stifling hot all-weather turf into their own private
playground.
Pierson connected on 13 of 22 passes for 192 yards and four
touchdowns and just one interception, while Douglass enjoyed a
monster day with six catches for 122 yards and three scores.
Another huge factor was the fine play of the El Mo offensive
line, which protected Pierson, while opening gaping holes for
running back Tommy Krausmann. The shifty, 5’ 7”, 150-pound senior
cut and juked his way to a great afternoon, churning up 118 yards
rushing on 23 carries. Other offensive standouts included receivers
Nate Palmer (2-26 yards), Levi Karns (2-25 yards), and Chet “The
Jet” Lambert (2-16 yards, TD).
The Lions drew first blood late in the opening period when a
four-minute, 60-yard drive culminated in a six-yard scoring strike
from Pierson to Douglass on a fourth and goal situation. Taylor
Davis added the first of his five PAT boots and El Mo led 7-0.
Another Lion’s drive early in the second quarter set up another
fourth-down scoring pass, this one a 15-yarder from Pierson to
Lambert and a 14-0 lead.
Drake got on the board on its next possession, with a long pass
setting up a two-yard scoring run. The PAT kick was blocked, and
the Lions led 14-6. On the play, Lambert and teammate Louis Buratto
collided and both sustained injuries and did not return.
The Lions found pay-dirt again late in the second when a 68-yard
drive led to a 35-yard touchdown strike to Douglass for a 21-6
halftime advantage. The Lions would pad the lead with a 15-yard
scoring bolt by Krausmann in the third and added a 45-yard
touchdown dagger from Pierson to Douglass en route to a 35-12
win.
Defensive standouts for the Lions included Dylan Licciardo (4
tackles, 3 assists, sack), Douglass (4, 2), Jared Garner (3, 2, 2
sacks), Garrit Afman (3 tackles), Aren Vierra (1, 1, sack), John
Carlson (2 tackles), Davis (2 tackles), Karns (2 tackles), and a
tackle apiece from Calvin Sandeen, Dalton Hemphill, Palmer Angel
Razo, Toree Smith, and Lambert.
Tigers dispatch Prospectors
The Analy faithful witnessed a Tiger dismantling of the Piner
squad, most of which occurred well before intermission. The Tigers
turned in a solid game on both sides of the ball, and capitalized
on the early lead by getting their entire bench involved.
“We put the ball on the ground a couple of times, but for the
most part played mistake-free football,” said Analy head coach Dan
Bourdon. “We were able to eliminate mental mistakes, and it’s a
great feeling when you know that you’ve given every guy on the team
valuable playing time.”
The Tigers wasted no time establishing dominance, when a short
field led to a 24-yard touchdown scamper by senior back Cooper
Maloney. Galvan nailed his first of seven PAT kicks for a 7-0
lead.
Moments later, defender Issak Olsen pounced on a Piner fumble to
set up a 24-yard scoring pass from quarterback Jake Zanutto to Matt
Anderson and a 14-0 advantage.
The Tigers were on the move again in their next possession, with
the drive culminating in a 25-yard scoring pass from Zanutto to
Julian Titus-Patino and a 21-0 bulge.
Following a Piner touchdown, the Tigers busted it wide open with
a 20-yard scoring strike from Zanutto to talented sophomore Aaron
Maher. Linebacker Joe Clemmer joined the party on the Prospector’s
next series when he picked off a pass and raced 35 yards to the
house to make it 35-6. Titus-Patino capped the first half Analy
fireworks with an eight-yard touchdown grab for a 42-14 lead at the
break. The Tigers added a 63-yard hook-up from Zanutto to
Titus-Patino in the third quarter en route to a 49-20 win.
Zanutto finished a terrific night, completing 12 of 15 passes
for 218 yards and 5 touchdowns. Top Tigers rushers were Myers (6-47
yards), and Maloney (7-37). Leading the receiving corps were
Titus-Patino (7-129 yards, 3 TDs),and Maher (3-73, TD).
Analy won the takeaway battle, 4-1, with interceptions by
Anderson (2), Clemmer, and fumble recoveries from Olsen and Sean
Benfield.
