Bulldogs roll past Mustangs 61-27
VACAVILLE — The Jason Ott era as coach of the Rodriguez High football team began with flashes of brilliance — and a long list of things that need to be worked on.
The Mustangs broke off four scoring runs of 60 yards or more, but gave up 42 points in the first half and 396 yards rushing in falling 61-27 to Vacaville in the season opener for both teams at Tom Zunino Stadium on Friday night.
“Our guys, they got battle tested tonight,” said Ott after his first game as Mustangs coach. “We told them it would be a tough game and they never stopped fighting. They kept competing and they got to see what it’s like to be in midseason form. We’ll continue to work to make sure we get to that level.”
Indeed, Vacaville, which has won all four meetings with Rodriguez, made few mistakes, even after subbing down liberally. Thirteen different Bulldogs carried the ball with six scoring touchdowns.
Ironically, Vacaville got its first two touchdowns through the air on tosses of 20 and 28 yards from Coleman Christensen to Curtis Goins and Jacob Te’o.
Melvin Mason added a 9-yard touchdown run to up the lead to 21-0 with 48 seconds left in the first quarter after the third of Reed White’s seven conversion kicks.
Even before the end of the first quarter, the Mustangs responded. Quarterback Jordan Riggins, who completed just 1 of 10 passes for 31 yards, faked a handoff and bolted 73 yards untouched with 31 seconds to go in the opening period, Kaitlin Christ booted the first of her three conversions to make it 21-7.
The Mustangs got no closer.
Max Held scored on a 9-yard run and Mason added TD bursts of 15 and 3 yards to up Vacaville’s advantage to 42-7 at halftime.
The Bulldogs sandwiched third-quarter scoring runs of 20 and 18 yards by Te’o and Daniel Mewborn around an 74-yard dash by Rodriguez’s Myles Burton, giving Vacaville a 55-13 edge after three quarters.
Even with a running clock, brought on by the Bulldogs leading by 40 or more points in the fourth quarter, there were still plenty of fireworks in the final 8 minutes.
Marwin Wilson scored on a 26-yard run to give Vacaville its biggest lead of the night at 61-13. Burton countered with an 80-yard run off left tackle, which tied for the fourth-longest in school history, and Alex Wilson scored on a 61-yard sweep to the left on the final play of the game.
Burton rushed 12 times for a career-high 174 yards, sixth-most in school history.
Rodriguez is at Las Lomas of Walnut Creek next Friday, while Vacaville is at Marin Catholic of Kentfield next Saturday.
Reach Paul Farmer at 425-4646 Ext. 264 or pfarmer@dailyrepublic.net.
Short URL: http://www.dailyrepublic.com/?p=83262
Posted by Paul Farmer
on Sep 2 2011.
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