The El Molino Lions posted their first win of the 2018 football campaign on Friday, erasing an early deficit to slip past visiting Sonoma Valley 14-7.
The victory gives the Lions momentum as they host Lower Lake this Friday, Aug. 31. Game times for the JV and varsity are 5 and 7:30 p.m.
“Our offense was sluggish but is improving,” El Mo head coach Randy Parmeter reported. “The defense played well and gave up one big play early for a touchdown, but held firm after that.”
Down 7-0 in the first quarter, the Lions hit pay dirt twice in the second half while their defense dug in for a goal-line stand in the final seconds to preserve a 14-7 win.
Lions’ senior all-purpose back Sam Wilson-Mietz turned in a sensational game, recording one touchdown on a screen pass and another on a 45-yard punt return to give his team the lead. He also did the job on defense, with three interceptions.
Tigers fall to Encinal
The varsity football Tigers remain in search of their first season win this week after weathering a 42-28 loss at the hands of visiting Encinal on Friday. The Jets, who bounced Analy from the NCS playoffs last year, erased an early 12-6 deficit with a series of big plays in the second half to seal the win.
The Tigers (0-2) will continue a challenging pre-league schedule this Friday, Aug. 31, when they visit Monte Vista in Danville. Varsity kickoff is 7:30 p.m.
Despite Friday’s setback against Encinal, head coach James Foster saw it as a big stepping stone for the Tigers.
“It was a huge improvement from the last game,” Foster said, referring to a 34-3 loss to Santa Rosa on Aug. 17. “Our players worked really hard this week to make sure we didn’t have another game like our opener. We battled for four quarters, but Encinal made a few more big plays, and that was the difference.”
Quarterback Nic Visser turned in a strong outing, completing 28 of 38 pass attempts for 283 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 104 yards and one score. His top targets were receivers Tyler Nebozuk (6-96 yards, 2 TDs) and Vince Willis (8-67 yards). Garrett Lua recorded an interception defensively for the Tigers.
