Friday night lights return for Analy, El Mo
The Lions and Tigers enjoyed an annual rite of passage on Friday with the much anticipated return of high school football.
Although the Lions endured a 36-7 shellacking at the hands of visiting perennial state power St. Bernard’s, the Tigers fared better, pulling out an electrifying 26-20 overtime win at Santa Rosa.
Both teams will be back on the gridiron this Friday, Aug. 30, as El Molino (0-1) entertains Sonoma Valley while Analy (1-0) visits Encinal in Alameda. Game times for the JV and varsity are 5 and 7:30 p.m.
Tigers outlast Panthers
Things didn’t go as scripted for the Tigers at Santa Rosa on Friday, with the Panthers taking full advantage of Analy’s slow start to jump out to a 12-0 lead.
The Tigers got things rolling in the second quarter as quarterback Gavin Allingham directed a pair of drives resulting in touchdowns to grab a 14-12 lead at the break.
Trailing 20-14 in the third, the Tigers again clawed back to find paydirt, but the PAT kick failed as the game moved to overtime knotted at 20-all.
With each team getting a possession at the other’s 10 yard line in overtime, the Panthers failed to move the ball on their first drive, putting the ball in Analy’s hands. The Tigers obliged, as running back Kole Hunter scampered in for the winning score.
“Our defense really set the tone for the game, and our guys never quit,” Tigers head coach James Foster said. “The overall effort was amazing. We ask our players to give us 48 minutes of football, and they did that, plus some.”
Allingham finished up a solid 2019 debut with 17 completions on 30 pass attempts for 144 yards and two touchdowns, adding one score on the ground. Other offensive leaders were Will Koenig (6-54 yards, TD receiving), Trenton Vogel (receiving TD) and Kaden Fox (12-58 yards rushing).
Leading defenders included Gary Gritsch (2 INTs) and Chris McGowan (INT).
Lions fall to Crusaders
El Molino opened the 2019 campaign with a tough assignment — try to stop the vaunted St. Bernard offense.
The task proved unsuccessful, as the Crusaders scored early and often to open up a 36-0 half-time advantage.
With a running clock throughout the second half, the visitors kept the Lions off the board until midway through the fourth quarter when quarterback Weston Lewis dove over from a yard out. It was all the Lions could muster as the Crusaders cruised to a 36-7 victory.
Despite the outcome, there were plenty of positives for the Lions, who got standout efforts from Lewis, running backs D.J. Ramalia and Jalen Hall and defender Colman Hayes.
