Cardinals in the clutch

After battling back from a 10-point second-half deficit, the Cougars simply couldn't hold off Santa Cruz which scored the go-ahead touchdown with 45 seconds to play to defeat SLV 27-20 on Saturday, Oct. 24.

The loss was disappointing for the Cougars who battled back from 10 down in the second half, only to see Santa Cruz mount a game-winning drive.

A couple of observations:
Sean Conner is developing into a force on short yardage situation. Conner gets low and pumps his legs to blast through hole, even when it's not there.

Fourth down is Trevor Romele time. On fourth and short, a play-action quarterback keeper around one of the ends usually nets the Cougars the first down and much, much more. Romele is fast and seems to be a talented runner.

Zeke Sanders is really fast. On an 85-yard touchdown run, Sanders accelerated down the sideline and left everyone in the dust. The man has wheels. However, despite his size, he's not a tough runner and goes down on the first or second hit almost every time.

Homecoming next week against a scrappy Harbor team!

Shelled by the Falcons

It's in the past now - but it happened. Rival Scotts Valley High School demolished the Cougars 53-14 in a game that was only close in the opening minutes of the first half.

Not all is lost for SLV. In fact, instead of looking at what went wrong (The Falcons might simply be more experienced and more polished), this post will look at what went OK for SLV.

First Quarter: The Falcons recieved the opening kick and drove right down the field for a touchdown. SLV turned right around and mounted its own drive highlighted by a 41-yard over the shoulder grab by Patrick Salibi. Quarterback Trevor Romele delivered the ball in a spot where only Salibi could catch it, and Salibi hauled it in.

Second Quarter: Not much went the Cougars way. The Falcons scored three times in a matter of minutes and the game was decided by the halftime score of 34-7. The only question remaining was how many points SV could score.

Third Quarter: In the middle of the quarter the Cougars reeled off a 14 play drive spanning nearly seven minutes capped by Sean Conner's first touchdown of the year, a 4-yard run. Both teams scored only once and if it wasn't for a blocked punt that set up an 8-yard touchdown pass, Scotts Valley may not have scored in the third.

In the photo, Cameron Bruce prepares to tackle a Scotts Valley reciever. Photo by Lucjan Szewczyk/Press-Banner.

Fourth Quarter: Scotts Valley scored early in the quarter, but the Cougars Robert McKissock came up the middle and blocked the extra point. By the time the fourth quarter came around, both teams nearly emptied their sidelines and players that have not seen the field much of the year saw some live action with a chance to get their uniforms dirty.

Special teams was a mixed bag throughout the game. Kicker Alex Luera boomed two kickoffs and hit both extra points. However, two punts were blocked, including one for a touchdown. Luera was not at fault except he may need to speed up his punts when facing a fierce rush. Kickoff return continued to be a consistent strength for the Cougars as Beau Gregory's returns started the Cougars out past the 20 yard line on almost every possession.

Line 'em up

The San Lorenzo Valley offensive and defensive lines controlled the line of scrimmage in the Cougars 26-7 win at Watsonville on Sept. 26. Not only did the offensive line sustain scoring drives of 14 plays and 9 plays, the defensive line only allowed Watsonville to score once and that was on a 9 play, 32-yard drive after the 'Catz had recovered a fumble.

In the photo Beau Gregory finds a hole that you could drive a Volkwagon through.

The 14 play drive was probably the best of the young season as the Cougars pounded the ball relentlessly, taking nearly 8 1/2 minutes to score. Thank you line.

Hit of the night: Outside linebacker Bryce Harbert sniffed out a screen pass to a Watsonville wide reciever and came flying up from his postion to make the tackle for a three-yard loss in the first quarter.

Sharing the rock: Beau Gregory led the way with 80 yards rushing on nine carries, but his mates Bradley Hill (15 carries, 65 yards), Kyle Todd (11 carries, 45 yards) and QB Trevor Romele (6 carries, 45 yards) all averaged over four yards per carry.

Knocked his socks off: Quarterbacks are not know for their big hits, but on a bootleg, Romele leveled the defensive back trying to tackle him on the sideline before falling out of bounds after a 12-yard gain in the third quarter.

Special teams? Watsonville excelled at one thing in this contest. Blocking extra points. Two chip shots off the foot of kicker Alex Luera were blocked after Cougar touchdowns. If SLV wants to win tight games, every point will count, even the extra ones.

Photo: Courtesy of Paul Firenzi.