September 10, 2011
On a balmy evening in Mountain View, the game between Palma and St. Francis was delayed over one hour after halftime due to lightning. The Chieftains did not allow the lightning to slow down their running attack as they held on for a season-opening 20-15 victory in a game that didn't end until after 11PM. Palma's last win was also against the Lancers in last year's playoffs.
In the first half, Palma blocked the Lancers' first possession punt and junior lineman Matthias Lopez returned it for a touchdown. On the Lancers' third possession, they converted a field goal to trim the deficit to 7-3. The Chieftains sustained a long drive on their second possession that culminated in a two yard touchdown dive by senior running back John Myers to extend the lead to 14-3. St. Francis capped the scoring on its final possession of the half with a six yard run to cut the halftime deficit to 14-9.
After a lengthy lightning delay, the second half started with a Palma three and out. The Lancers drove the ball but had a 4th and 16 at the Palma 29. Braden Bishop caught a 29 yard touchdown reception from quarterback Colin Johnson as the Lancers took a 15-14 advantage. Palma then drove 69 yards that was capped off by Myers' second touchdown from 15 yards to give the Chieftains the 20-15 margin. St. Francis had two possessions that went deep into Palma territory but both ended on fourth down misses to end the game.
Offense: Myers had 115 yards rushing as Palma broke in first time starter Brandon Villar at quarterback. Coach Jeff Carnazzo stated that he was pleased with Villar's management of the game and that he plans to open up the passing game as the season continues. The Chieftains have 6-foot-6 wide receiver Noah Allen who has a significant height and leaping advantage over the opposing secondary.
The Lancers had a good balance with their running game behind Landon Baty and David Mapa while Bishop ran precise routes and was able to create space on these routes. The team had some dropped passes and bad penalties at crucial moments.
Defense: Defensive back Marcel Brinson and lineman Jack Powers anchor a stout defense. Brinson broke up a few passes and was apt on the corner blitz. Carnazzo stated that the Powers, who is a junior, will have some serious division I interest. Carnazzo also indicated he would like to see more physical play from his linemen.
The St. Francis defense was resilient but seems prone to the running game. It gave up over 100 yards and two touchdowns to Myers. However, the Lancers were able to limit the passing attack.
Special Teams: The Chieftains converted on a blocked punt for the first score. But conversely, the special teams also roughed the punter when they were leading 14-3 and prime to get the ball back before this penalty.
The Lancers muffed a punt return that allowed the Chieftains to run clock and get field advantage in the fourth quarter. Palma did not score but the Lancers were not able to drive the length of the field for the winning score.
What's Next: Palma's team this year may be better than last year's. They travel to Santa Maria next week before they face against a solid Cardinal Newman in two weeks that will help shape the top 20 in Northern California. Wins in both of those games would put the Chieftains in prime position to repeat in their league.
Palma faced St. Francis and Valley Christian in the playoffs last season. The Chieftains will probably face another WCAL opponent in the playoffs this year. If the passing game develops over the season, then Chieftains could go deeper this year.
The Lancers start out 0-2 but fought well in both losses. These moral victories may wear thin as the Lancers play Willow Glen who has a potent passing game. A 0-3 start could snowball into a losing record for the season as the WCAL will be tough again.
So often, sports are about momentum and streaks. Right now, the Lancers need a win to get rid of this taste. Last year's team was really strong defensively. This year's team has given up more points to the same first two opponents than last year's contests. The next two games are against Willow Glen and Serra. Willow Glen features quarterback Mitchell Ravizza who threw for 37 touchdowns last season while Serra has a solid running game. The results of these two matchups will give a more accurate gauge for the rest of the Lancer season.
No comments:
Post a Comment