The Greyhounds opened the 2006 football campaign in dominant
fashion on Friday, churning up nearly 400 yards in total offense in
a 39-6 romp over visiting Kelseyville.
The packed house at Recreation Park had plenty to cheer about,
as the Hounds led from start to finish in a contest marked by big
plays and outstanding individual performances.
Healdsburg suited up only 20 athletes on Friday and were missing
several key players for disciplinary reasons, most notably on the
offensive line. But despite the small numbers, the team had plenty
of firepower left in their arsenal.
³Overall we were very pleased with the way we played, especially
some of our younger players,² said Hounds coach Gale Bach. ³Our
sophomores Andrew Phillips and David Balestrieri did an outstanding
job and considering we were missing some kids, I have to give kudos
to our offensive line.²
Junior quarterback Corey Harms had a tremendous varsity debut,
hitting on 12 of 14 passing attempts for 142 yards and two
touchdowns. The big-play tandem of Harms to junior wide-out Jared
Garcia (7-99 yards, 2 TDs) combined on a pair of first half
touchdowns that helped to open the floodgates. All-league senior
linebacker Mitch Arreguin carried much of the load on both sides of
the ball, rushing nine times for 111 yards and two touchdowns,
while leading the defense with 17 tackles.
The Hounds wasted no time on Friday, as defender Peter Everson
picked off a Kelseyville pass on the Knight¹s first possession,
leading to a 25-yard touchdown scamper by Arreguin. Jon Cattalini
added the first of his eventual three PAT kicks for a quick 7-0
lead. Healdsburg came right back on its next possession, as Harms
found Garcia on a 32-yard dagger to give the Hounds a 14-0 bulge by
the end of the first quarter.
The Healdsburg defense continued to throttle the Knights in the
second period, giving the Hounds excellent field position. A sack
by Curtis Allegra and Daniel Erdman forced a Kelseyville punt from
deep in their own territory, giving the Greyhounds the ball at
midfield. Harms directed the most important drive of the game,
culminating in a seven-yard scoring pass to Garcia for a 20-0
halftime lead.
There was no let-up after intermission, as Arreguin capped a
drive with his second rushing touchdown of the game, this one a
13-yard burst for a 26-0 advantage. Kelseyville answered with an
eight-yard touchdown run later in the period, but it was too little
too late.
Defensive back Tom Cochran had two picks in the second half, and
another pair of touchdown runs by Jon Cattalini and Andrew Phillips
in the fourth quarter gave Healdsburg an eventual, 39-6 win.
In addition to the heroics of Harms, Garcia and Arreguin, other
offensive highlights were provided by: Balestrieri (11-62 yards
rushing), Cattalini (4-19 yards rushing, TD) Andrew Baroni (2-14
yards rushing), Phillips (4-45 yards rushing, TD), Tom Cochran
(3-32 yards receiving) and AJ Quiroga (1-8 yards receiving).
Defensive standouts included: Cochran (4 tackles, 2 assists, 2
interceptions), Phillips (5 tackles, 6 assists), Baroni (5 tackles,
5 assists), Cochran (4 tackles, 2 assists), Erdman (4 tackles,
assist, half-sack), Connor Collins (2 tackles, 3 assists), Uly
Espinosa (3 tackles), Everson (3 tackles, interception), Quiroga
(tackle, 3 assists), Chris Saulter (2 tackles), Nicholas
Vuilliomenet (2 tackles, sack), Harms (2 tackles) and Chris Bach
(tackle, 2 assists).
Next up for the Hounds is a road clash with St. Patrick¹s/St.
Vincent¹s (Vallejo) Friday, Sept. 15. Game times for the JV and
varsity are 5/7:30 p.m.
Injury Notes: Running back David Balestrieri suffered a
concussion in the game and will sit out for two weeks for
precautionary reasons.
JV opens with a win
The Greyhound JV squad posted a 15-0 win over Kelseyville.
Offensive leaders included: running back Paul Wilson (15-54 yards,
TD on punt return), quarterbacks Killian Collins (4-8,73 yards) and
Zach Shippey (3-4, 51 yards) and receiver Mikey Nieto (2-55 yards,
TD). Leading defenders were: Placido Lopez (14 tackles), Rummonds
(10 tackles), Tommy Belli (9 tackles, blocked punt, safety) and
James Mesa (INT).
