Things did not go as planned for the Greyhounds in the Sept. 3 home football opener at Recreation Park, as the visiting San Rafael Bulldogs capitalized on frequent scoring opportunities and Healdsburg miscues to post a 37-7 rout.
The loss evened the Hounds’ season record to 1-1.
“We fumbled four or five times and had over 200 yards in penalties, giving San Rafael a short field all night,” Hound’s coach Robert “Bear” Gray said. “It can be a humbling experience, but we just have to learn from our mistakes and move on.”
Healdsburg will need to regroup quickly as it prepares for the next task at hand — a Friday, Sept. 10 home clash with Cloverdale. The JV squad plays at HHS in a 4:30 p.m. start while the varsity kick off at 7 p.m. at Recreation Park.
The Eagles (0-0) have yet to play this season following a bye and the cancellation of their scheduled game with St. Vincent last week due to COVID concerns.
“I saw Cloverdale play in a scrimmage last month and they looked good,” Gray noted. “They may be small in numbers but they will be tough. We’ll have to bring our ‘A’ game to beat them.”
Penalties prove costly
The Greyhounds didn’t take long to break down Friday’s game film against the Bulldogs — the reasons for defeat were obvious. Healdsburg was flagged for 20 penalties in the game, and several fumbles in their own territory created a hole it could not dig out of.
San Rafael drew first blood in the opening period when running back Charlie Grant found pay dirt on an 11-yard scoring run for a 7-0 lead. The Bulldogs added a defensive safety to make it 9-0.
The Hounds got on the board late in the period when quarterback Jesus “Chuy” Anguiano hooked up with receiver Sebastian Gonzalez on a 45-yard touchdown strike to cut the deficit to 9-7.
It would prove to be the high-water mark of the night for Healdsburg, as the Bulldogs reeled off 28 unanswered points en route to an eventual, 37-7 romp.
Although no official stats were available, outstanding offensive players for the Hounds included Anguiano, Gonzalez and Matt Teldeschi. Defensive standouts were Nathaniel Rowland, Enrique Valenzuela and Matthew Rowland.
Pre-sale tickets available online
Local fans can now purchase pre-sale tickets for all Greyhound home football and volleyball games online on Gofan.com
There are three ways to buys tickets: Download the GoFan app from your phone’s app store. Search for Healdsburg High School to purchase your tickets.
Fans can also visit the HHS website and scroll down to “athletics” (under “quicklinks” in the menu to the left). Under “upcoming events” click on “here” to purchase your tickets. Show your tickets on your mobile device at the door/gate.
The third method is to go to the HHS Website and scroll down to “webstore” (under “quicklinks” in the menu to the left). In the webstore, scroll down until you see the GoFan logo, click on the logo or “View Details.” Click on “GoFan – Purchase Tickets for HHS Sports by Clicking This Link” and purchase your tickets. Show your tickets on your mobile device at the door/gate.
