Vanden wins thriller over Will C. Wood, 29-21
VACAVILLE — Playing with heavy hearts after the Labor Day weekend death of their beloved art teacher, the Vanden High football team reached deep down Friday night — and got a little help from the football Gods in the closing minutes.
Ben Scott connected with Cody Holbein on a 71-yard touchdown pass that gave Vanden a 29-21 win over Will C. Wood at Tom Zunino Stadium. On the ensuing kickoff, Elijah Williams recovered a ball that ricocheted off a Wildcat player.
Vanden got the ball back with just more than 4 minutes remaining in the game at its own 46-yard line.
“I am glad that we came out on the good end of the stick tonight,” Vanden coach Levon Haynes said. “Our guys fought back. My hat’s off to our senior leaders.”
Haynes added the team was dedicating the game to Joyce Tusan-Dalton, who passed away suddenly five days ago.
“I am very proud of the way our guys played tonight,” said Haynes.
Wood made the game a thriller in the second half after falling behind 21-6 with 4 minutes, 18 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Wildcats scored 15 unanswered points to tie the game with less than 6 minutes remaining.
It didn’t take Scott, Vanden’s senior quarterback and all-time leading passer, to take over.
O’Shea Bryant got the winning drive started with a 2-yard run and Scott then found fellow senior David Bucannon up the middle for a 13-yard gain. J.J. Hong, also a senior, ran the ball for a yard before Scott’s deep pass landed in the arms of Holbein on Wood’s side of the field. Holbein outran his defender into the end zone.
“He’s a very good quarterback,” said Wood coach Carlos Meraz. “He puts the ball where his receivers can catch it. We just have to do a better job of executing on offense.”
Both teams struggled offensively in the first half, with Vanden taking just a 7-6 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Reach Angela Borchert at angela.borchert@yahoo.com.
Short URL: http://www.dailyrepublic.com/?p=85269
Posted by Angela Borchert
on Sep 9 2011.
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