The Monterey Peninsula College Lobos built a 27-7 lead and held
on to stop the Gavilan Rams 27-21 in a key Coast Conference clash
on the winners’ turf.
By Bob Burch Sports Writer
Monterey – The Monterey Peninsula College Lobos built a 27-7 lead and held on to stop the Gavilan Rams 27-21 in a key Coast Conference clash on the winners’ turf.
The teams shared first place in the six-team conference heading into play. The Lobos take a 3-0 record into this week’s game against San Jose City, while the Rams, 2-1 in the conference and 5-3 over-all, visit Cabrillo.
Gavilan managed a 411-300 edge in total offense, but big plays earned the win for the Lobos.
A frustrated Gavilan coach John Lango could only notice that “we made mistakes in the first half that just killed us.”
Defensive stalwart Janall Arthur pointed to the “big play factor” in the loss.
“We’d hold them until third down and then they’d make a big play,” said the sophomore linebacker. “Mental mistakes killed us.”
MPC quarterback Dustin Long, the most proficient passer in the state entering play, responded to the challenge offered by Gavilan’s state-leading defense to connect on 12 of 26 attempts for 248 yards and three touchdowns.
Gavilan’s running attack came up with 187 yards, including 141 from defending conference Offensive Player of the Year El Ray Henry.
The tailback has passed the 100-yard mark 11 times, tying Greg Goularte for second place in the Gavilan 42-year-old record book and trailing only Alonzo Washington’s 18 times.
“The real key is to stop Gavilan’s run game to some extent,” said Lobo coach Mike Rasmussen. “Over-all, we did a pretty good job. We got conservative and ran the clock in the second half. That’s okay, whatever it takes.”
Long only threw three times in the second half, although his one completion was an 83-yard scoring bomb to wide-out Clarence Love for a 27-7 lead with 6:49 left in the third quarter.
Gavilan came up with two touchdowns in the final 4:45 of play to close to within six points.
The Rams were able to get the ball back with six seconds left but could not get off a final pass from the Ram 27 as time expired.
Gavilan quarterback Will Kilday covered 104 yards in a 10-for-21 showing including three interceptions.
When the redshirt freshman threw wildly on a fourth and two swing pass with 7:48 left in the third quarter and trailing 20-7, Lango pulled Kilday for Rhett Van De Mark for the remainder of the game.
Van De Mark managed two touchdown passes, both on fourth-and-goal plays, in an 11-for-23 relief role.
Guy Blightman grabbed a Van De Mark seven-yard slant pass with 4:45 left to make it 27-14. Van De Mark then passed on 10 of 12 plays the Rams needed to cover 80 yards to a final score.
Van De Mark converted two fourth downs before hitting Steven Conner for the seven-yard touchdown with 1:45 left to make it 27-21.
The following onside kick failed when Horacio Arteaga’s squib kick sailed through the defenders and out of bounds.
The Lobos took the opening kick-off and marched 72 yards to paydirt, Long twice converting third and long to keep the Lobos moving.
By Bob Burch Sports Writer
Long threaded a pass into the left corner of the endzone ahead of two Ram defenders, tight end Michael Soto making the three-yard grab for a 6-0 lead with 9:30 left in the first quarter. Gavilan blocked the point-after kick.
The Rams took a 7-6 lead on the first play of the second quarter.
Tyrone Monroe’s interception and 19-yard return set the Rams up at the Gavilan 39.
Henry dashed 37 yards to the 24 as the quarter ended. Halfback Melvin Bryant finished the series with a 24-yard sprint off right tackle for the lead.
“I hit the hole, then saw a good block by fullback Jeremy Singleton,” said Bryant, a freshman out of Gilroy High. “I cut off to the outside and there was no one there. I saw the safety coming and wasn’t sure if he could take me so I dove into the end zone to made sure.”
After the Lobos were turned back with a missed field goal with 12:17 left in the half, Gavilan appeared out of trouble when Kilday connected with Blightman for a short curl that Blightman turned and made into a 38-yard gain.
Gavilan’s second and final penalty of the contest, a hold to make it first and 20, led to Kilday’s throw to the right flank on the next play that was intercepted by Casey Neligh and returned untouched 60 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.
A high pass from Kilday sailed into the hands of Lobo safety Mike Curtice with 3:32 left in the half. Long drove the Lobos to the Ram six in the closing minute, completing the task with a six-yard TD pitch to Josh Morales, the conference-leading receiver.
Gavilan’s decision to use fake reverses on every kick-off return resulted in a season-low of nine yards per return, leading to difficult field position each time.
The Rams did limit the Lobos to 52 yards on the ground on 32 attempts. Long was sacked only once, a season low for the Ram pass rush.
