The Gavilan Rams have yet to put together a complete effort,
connecting offensive crispness with exhausting defensive play and
special teams efficiency.
n By Bob Burch Staff Writer
Gilroy – The Gavilan Rams have yet to put together a complete effort, connecting offensive crispness with exhausting defensive play and special teams efficiency.
The good news for Ram football fans is that, despite spotty offensive play, the results were in Gavilan’s favor Saturday night. Janall Arthur’s 86-yard return of a botched Diablo Valley point-after for two needed points late in the third quarter sent the host Rams past the Vikings 22-15 in a non-conference thriller at Mustang Stadium.
Trailing 15-8 after the Arthur heroics, the Rams powered to a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The win left coach John Lango’s charges at 3-1, with Diablo Valley slipping to 2-2.
“We got tired,” Viking coach Ralph Depew said of the Rams rally. “Our defense was out there too much. Up front, their defensive front seven did a great job against our offensive linemen and they deserved to win. It was a close game and they played better than we did. They just out-played us.”
Diablo Valley of the Golden Gate Conference shook off a 6-3 halftime deficit to strike for two touchdowns in the third quarter.
The Vikes took advantage of a 15-yard personal foul by the Ram punt coverage team to set up its offense at the Ram 20 with 8:59 to play in the third. Quarterback David Quistgard was 2-for-2 passing on the drive, finishing with an 11-yard loft to Nicky Smith for the touchdown. Will Dawson’s point-after kick sailed wide right to leave the Vikes up 9-6 with 7:06 left in the quarter.
Gavilan quarterback Rhett Van De Mark’s second intercepted pass of the game gave the Vikings another opportunity on the DVC 28. Quistgard teamed with Smith for a 72-yard scoring strike on the first play of the series, Smith slipping inside the Gavilan defense to catch the 10-yard toss before jetting through the secondary to paydirt.
The momentum of the game changed the Rams’ way on the point-after try. The holder fumbled the snap and lost the ball as the Ram front line stormed toward the ball.
Arthur grabbed the ball on a bounce, avoided one tackler at the 20 and then completed the 86-yard jaunt for two points, leaving the Rams down 15-8.
“We were up two scores, but the bad snap on the PAT made it a one-score game,” summed up Depew of the game’s key sequence.
Gavilan followed with touchdown drives of 60 and 20 yards in the final quarter.
El Ray Henry carried on all four plays as the Rams drew even at 15-15 with 11:33 left in the game.
Henry, who finished with 129 yards in 21 tries, put the Rams in Vikes territory with a 24-yard rush, then completed the drive with a 30-yard sprint off right tackle.
Henry was pulled down at the one and fumbled the ball into the endzone. Ram center Clay Peer was nearby to pounce on the ball for the first score of his collegiate career. Horacio Arteaga added the PAT kick for the 15-15 deadlock.
Two plays into the next Viking series, Diablo Valley’s Rohnell Robinson fumbled at the Vikes’ 33. Arthur grabbed the loose ball and rambled 33 yards to the 20.
“Eric Williams caused the fumble,” said Arthur. “I was able to pick it up and find some room.”
Henry again handled the ball on every play, striking for six and three yards before finishing with an 11-yard bull off left guard with 9:28 to play.
“El Ray was a little hurt,” said Lango of the switch to other running backs for much of the second and third quarters. “When we brought in back in, we knew Diablo Valley’s defense was getting tired.”
Diablo Valley had only one more possession, stopped when Williams recovered a fumble at the Gavilan 22 with 4:11 to play.
Lango replaced starting quarterback Will Kilday with Van De Mark early in the second quarter with the Vikes up 3-0.
“The change was something we had prepared to do,” said Lango. “Rhett could get in his drops a little faster than Will. We also went to some option with Rhett to get them out of their blitzing game.”
Diablo Valley opened the scoring with a 30-yard Dawson field goal with 1:43 to play in the first quarter on the team’s fourth possession. Van De Mark drove the Rams to a touchdown on his first series, threading a strike to a slanting Shane Butcher for a 56-yard touchdown with 8:29 left in the half.
Gavilan is likely to be among the top three teams in California on defense after limiting DVC to 231 yards, just 72 on the ground. Roy Sims collected four of the six sacks of Viking passers. Van De Mark covered 150 yards with a 5-for-17 effort.
Gavilan completes the pre-Coast Conference portion of its schedule with a home date against the College of San Mateo Bulldogs Saturday at 7 p.m. at Mustang Stadium.
By Bob Burch
