By John Linker
The Healdsburg Greyhounds varsity football team won their third straight game of the year on Saturday afternoon in Contra Costa County, walloping the Christian Berean Eagles by a score of 40-26.
In the rare midday weekend game on the Walnut Creek campus, the Hounds entered the game with momentum and a purpose. Last year the two teams tied, so both went into this year’s game to settle the score.
“The kids were 100% motivated to change the narrative of last year’s tie,” said head coach Criss Rosales. “I wasn’t on staff last year, but it meant a lot to the kids.”
Although it took the Eagles just two minutes to score a touchdown, on a one-yard rush from Damon Neu, the rest of the first quarter was all Healdsburg.
The Hounds’ first score came when the powerful arm of Nova Perrill II threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Hayden Mariani to even the score at 6-6. A few minutes later Perrill himself took off for a 17-yard run to set up the team’s second touchdown on a burst from Frank Rea. After the first of many of Christian Camacho Ruiz’s point-after kicks, the Hounds went into the second quarter ahead 13-6.
They continued to control the ball into the second quarter and scored in the first four minutes on Andrew Barr’s one-yard run, making the score 20-6. Following a long pass by Eagles’ quarterback Joshua Werner (he went 21 of 29 attempts for 352 yards on the day), Berean Christian scored on a 10-yard pass to make it 20-13.
Healdsburg answered back with three minutes left in the half as Frank Rea scored on a 16-yard rushing play, one of his two TDs. With the Eagles threatening again late in the quarter, Dillan Jocius’ interception preserved the Hounds’ solid lead going into halftime, 27-13.
Second Half
Though Eagles quarterback Werner showed off his arm early in the third quarter, connecting with receiver Dane Lowden for a 43-yard touchdown pass, Perrill was ready to answer the call. He led the Hounds upfield again with a long pass to Hayden Mariani, which set up a three-yard rushing touchdown by Dillan Jocius, a valuable contributor to Saturday’s game.
Werner threw another long ball to Christian Smith as the third quarter ended for a 50-yard touchdown, but once again Berean Christian could not convert and the quarter ended 34-26.
That left it up to the solid Healdsburg defense, which shut the door on Werner’s heroic heaves. Meanwhile Perrill continued his accurate throwing game (14 of 20 throws for 335 yards), and Jocius ran for his second score of the day, bringing the score to 40-26.
Though the Greyhounds had a two-score lead, the Eagles were not giving up in front of their hometown crowd. Werner passed and ran his team into the Healdsburg “red zone” (inside the 20-yard line) with seven minutes left, but that’s when Areum Romero intercepted a pass and gave the Greyhounds back the ball. They slowed their roll, and only gave the Eagles less than a minute to score once they turned it back on a punt.
Coach Rosales praised the offense, saying they “delivered to seal the game. [I’m] very proud of how we can spread the ball around offensively.” Perrill also led the team with 84 rushing yards, leading Rosales to say, “Nova is a phenomenal quarterback and decision maker. It is a wonderful thing to know as a play caller you and your QB are on the same wavelength.”
Adding to the Hounds’ offensive charge was Mariani, with 177 pass receiving yards on four catches, and Max Morris with 110 receiving yards on six. Andrew Barr and Frank Rea combined for a total of three rushing touchdowns.
Healdsburg’s defense was solid, holding the Eagles’ high-flying passing offense when it counted most. Rosales said of his staunch defensive players, “They weren’t satisfied trading blows back and forth. We made crucial plays on defense.” Hounds’ defense had a combined total of 49 tackles, 30 of those being solo, holding the Eagles’ total rushing game to just 38 yards.
It’s been a hard-fought and productive season so far for the Hounds Varsity football team. In looking forward to this week’s game Rosales said, “There is no secret that there has been a rivalry with Montgomery since the ’80s. It’s going to be a classic Healdsburg dog fight all four quarters.”
Healdsburg meets the Montgomery Vikings at Rec Park on Sept. 20, 7pm kickoff.
