GILROY—Missed opportunities defined the game for Gavilan on Saturday night. Every chance the Rams had to reach the endzone ended in a disaster as they fell 40-2 to Reedley at Christopher High.
Gavilan turned the ball over seven times to the Tigers. Sterling Montgomery and Luke Morrin combined for four interceptions, each throwing two apiece. The Rams also fumbled the ball three times, one of which was returned 56 yards for a touchdown.
“We have to do a better job of finishing and I have to do a better job as a play caller,” Gavilan head coach Mike Dovenberg said. “I didn’t call a very good game offensively.
“I think our defense played well enough to win…This is on me. I have to do a better job.”
Gavilan’s defense fought tooth and nail to keep the team in the game. It turned the Tigers’ away four times in the redzone and blocked a Reedley punt with just over five minutes left in the second to get the Rams on the board with a safety. They cut the Tigers’ lead to 20-2 at that point.
But that was all the points Gavilan could muster up.
“I think it’s all a matter of leadership. I’m a captain and I have to do a better job,” said freshman linebacker Damon Perez, who led his team with 12 tackles. “…we’ve just got to keep working and fight to the end.”
Reedley scored on their first possession when Adam Bray hit Blayde Moore for a 25-yard score.
Gavilan was on the move halfway through the first when it fumbled the ball for the first time. Reedley recovered and took it all the way to the Rams’ 5-yard-line. But John Barrera pounced on Bray, pushing the Tigers back and forced them to settle for a field goal.
The Tigers got into redzone again to start the second, but the Rams defense covered the Reedley receivers like a blanket and forced them to try for a field goal. The attempt was no good this time, but it went straight through the pipes on their next possession and the Tigers led 13-0.
The Rams had just entered Tiger territory on their next possession when they fumbled the ball. Reedley’s Malik Chatman recovered and it took it 56 yards for a touchdown to lead 20-0.
Sophomore quarterback Montgomery threw his first interception on the Rams’ next drive. Minutes later, Montgomery took the team 56 yards down field to Reedley’s 16-yard-line. The drive ended there as the QB threw a Pick-6 that Kwabena Marfo returned 92 yards to give Reedley a 26-2 lead at halftime.
Montgomery completed 17 of his 25 attempts for 144 yards with two interceptions. Ryan Reynolds led the team in receptions with 10 for 111 yards.
Gavilan’s defense stepped up again in the third quarter, stopping the Tigers at the 23-yard-line when Shawn Jackson intercepted Bray. Jackson’s return gave Gavilan great field position, but Morrin, who took over at QB for Montgomery, was picked off at the goal line.
“We’ve got to keep fighting,” said Gavilan sophomore defensive back Josh Burris, who had two tackles and a pass break-up. “I feel like tonight we showed that we can compete with anyone in this conference. We’ve just gotta keep doing our job and keep a positive attitude.”
Bray hit Caleb Horton for a 65-yard score to bolster the Tigers’ lead and they struck again when Javin Harrison punched the ball in from the 1-yard-line. Reedley used 15 plays to cover 71 yards, thanks to another Rams’ fumble.
Gavilan’s AJ Baheyadeen stopped what would’ve been another score for Reedley as he recovered a fumble in the endzone. Morrin ended the Rams’ last possession with his second interception in Tiger territory. Morrin finished 8 for 21 with 53 yards and two picks.
Gavilan will have a quick turn around as it plays at 7 p.m. Friday at West Hills in Coalinga.
“We want to get healthy and we want to do better in the redzone offensively,” Dovenberg said. “We just have to do a better job and we’re going to work like crazy to get it done.”
