What a difference a week makes. The El Molino varsity football
squad notched its first win of the fall campaign on Friday with a
no-doubter, posting a dominating, 55-6 romp over Elsie Allen.
The Lions were shaken but unbowed after a disappointing
season-opening loss to Jesse Bethel a week earlier, and perhaps had
something to prove on Friday against the unsuspecting host
Lobos.
El Mo came out with purpose and ferocity, particularly on
defense, throwing up a brick wall against an overmatched Lobo
offense. Further complicating matters was an early injury suffered
by the Elsie Allen back-up quarterback, forcing the Lobos to use a
running back at the position. The results were disastrous, as the
Lion defense pinned its ears back and kept coming.
³It was nice to get a win, but I don¹t know how much we can take
from this game,² said El Mo head coach Mike Roan. ³We took
advantage of field position in the first half and jumped on all of
our opportunities.²
Field position was the operative phrase on Friday, as El Mo¹s
average starting point on its first half possessions was inside the
Lobo 30 yard line.
El Mo cashed in for its first score when a bad punt put the ball
at the Elsie Allen 27. Senior fullback Korey Gosselin found pay
dirt four carries later, breaking loose on a 13-yard burst. Luke
Manton followed with the PAT kick for a 7-0 lead. Another bad punt
for the Lobos had the Lions on the move again, culminating in a
10-yard touchdown scamper from Nate Fye for a 14-0 bulge.
Two minutes later the Lion¹s pass rush forced up a dying quail
and a 20-yard interception return for a touchdown by cornerback
Troy Bowen for a 20-0 bulge. El Mo safety Brian Palazzo joined the
party on the Lobo¹s next possession, picking off a pass at the
Lion¹s 34. Quarterback Tyler Kozlowski found receiver Andrew Raggio
on the next play on a 66-yard bomb. Gosselin ran for the two-point
conversion and El Mo led 28-zip.
Kozlowski had the team on the move again midway through the
second quarter, with the drive leading to a one-yard sneak for a
35-0 bulge. The Lions ended the first half madness when a Randall
Packard fumble recovery set up an eventual three-yard keeper by
back-up quarterback Raggio and a 41-0 smackdown at the break.
The Lobos avoided the shut-out with an 85-yard touchdown bolt by
Josh Berto in the third quarter, but the Lions would finish off the
fireworks with a seven-yard scoring run from Tony Massey and a
25-yard touchdown scamper from Casey Hopkins for the eventual, 55-6
win. For the second game in as many weeks, the Lions turned in a
sparkling defensive effort, led by senior Randall Packard, named
the defensive player of the week. Packard ended the night with
eight tackles, three forced fumbles and a pair of fumble
recoveries. Bowen and Palazzo each had an interception for the
Lions.
Top offensive players in limited duty included: Gosselin (7-50
yards rushing, TD) Kozlowski (1-1, 66 yards, TD passing, TD
rushing) and Raggio (1-66 yards receiving, TD, TD rushing).
The Lions (1-1) will host Piner this Friday (Sept. 22) in their
next pre-season clash. Game times for the JV and varsity are 5 and
7:30 p.m.
