Mustangs unable to overcome early deficit in 45-29 defeat to
Saratoga.
SARATOGA – It could have been an omen, a subtle sign pleading for the Gilroy High football team to consider setting the clocks back a half hour and start its pregame routine over, redo the kickoff and begin from scratch.
But that isn’t how it works.
A false start on their first offensive snap of the game followed by an unsuccessful trick play set the Mustangs off on the wrong foot – and they never found their balance.
The visiting Mustangs spotted Saratoga High 14 first-quarter points and couldn’t recover as the Falcons posted a 45-29 victory Friday night.
“Starting slow, we talk about that all the time,” GHS head coach Greg Garcia said. “Starting slow, we aren’t going to be successful. We want to have the early jump, roll with it and keep going. When we start from behind it takes away from the game plan.”
Whether it was on the ground or through the air, the Falcons (1-1) gave the Mustangs (1-1) fits all night long.
“We just didn’t come out strong like we did last game,” senior linebacker Ben Torricer said. “I guess it wasn’t our game. We just didn’t hang with them today.”
Known for its basic yet effective ground attack, the Falcons churned out 236 yards but did most of their big-play damage through the air. Falcons quarterback Kevin Smith completed 12-of-16 passes for 172 yards, including four connections of 25-yards or more.
“We weren’t getting our checks done fast enough,” Torricer said.
The Falcons jumped out to a 14-0 lead eight minutes into the ball game and increased the advantage to 31-7 by halftime.
GHS quarterback Niko Fortino, whose accuracy failed him at times, still managed to salvage a solid outing, going 22-of-42 for 279 yards with three touchdowns and one pick.
“At first it was shaky,” Fortino said. “The second half was a lot better for us. I need to start off like that. We just have to stop messing around in practice and work harder. We thought this was going to be an easy game. You saw what happened.”
Julius Travis led the receiving core with eight catches for 129 yards. Ryan Alba snagged five balls for 47 yards and a touchdown. Christian Salazar scored a late fourth-quarter touchdown. Romeo Travis tallied 30 yards on six carries to lead the Mustangs’ nearly nonexistent rushing attack.
One game removed from exploding for 22 first-quarter points against Live Oak, the Mustangs ran a combined 10 plays on their first three possessions. The Falcons had 12 plays on their second scoring drive of the first quarter alone.
After a Mustangs three-and-out to open the contest, Saratoga’s Troy Doles set his team up with ideal field position, returning the punt 46 yards to the Mustangs’ 11.
One play later, and with just 31 seconds gone off the game clock, Greg Johnson put the Falcons up with an 11-yard touchdown scamper.
Johnson found paydirt again, this time from two yards out to give the Falcons the two-score head start with a little more than four minutes to go in the opening period.
Fortino hooked up with Julius Travis for a 16-yard connection to slice the deficit to seven points moments into the second quarter, breathing life into the Mustangs who appeared to be turning the tide.
But a failed on-side kick on the ensuing kickoff provided the Falcons with positive field position at their 45 yard line and two minutes later it was 21-7. Smith trotted in from eight yards out after bobbling the snap. The touchdown summed up Gilroy’s frustrations.
A subsequent three-and-out by Gilroy sent a tiring defense back on the field and three plays later Smith hit a wide-open Doles for a 36-yard bomb and a 28-7 lead. A field goal lifted the Falcons into the locker room with a comfortable 24-point cushion.
“The character check for us is we have to make that comeback,” Garcia said. “It has to be fast with no more mistakes ¬- the mental mistakes, the missed tackles, the missed alignment.
“They have it in them. The character is there for them. It’s about putting the pieces together. They have a brotherhood amongst themselves.”
Though they were down, the Mustangs didn’t throw in the towel, clearly a change from a year ago.
“We have to start sticking together,” Torricer said. “Last year we weren’t a family. This year we are trying to put it together and do something. We have the talent.”
Fortino and Alba teamed up for a three-yard pitch and catch with two minutes remaining in the third quarter, making the score 38-15.
The Mustangs scored twice in the fourth quarter, once on a Torricer bull rush from a yard out with six minutes to go. And Salazar shimmied his way into the end zone after catching a short pass over the middle as time ticked under a minute.
NOTE: The game took an unfortunate turn early in the fourth quarter as GHS senior Andrew Santiago suffered a devastating broken leg during a Falcons’ point-after attempt. The game was delayed for about 30 minutes as emergency crew members tended to the linebacker.
Once placed on the stretcher, Santiago gave a thumbs up to the crowd and was wheeled off the field to a generous ovation.
Garcia said Santiago will undergo surgery Saturday.
