Mustang gridmen shut out by Viks, 19-0.
SALINAS – North Salinas scored three touchdowns in the final 14 minutes Friday to blank the visiting Gilroy High School Mustangs 19-0 in Tri-County Athletlic League football at the Salinas Sports Complex.
The loss sent the Mustangs to 0-4 for the league campaign and 1-8 overall entering Friday’s finale at home against the Live Oak Acorns.
Steady rain left both teams with slippery field conditions, although the Vikings were able to generate 17 first downs and 296 rushing yards. Only one pass was completed out of six attempted, three by each team. The outcome hinged on field possession and the ability of ball-carriers to hold onto the football. Gilroy coughed up four fumbles, while North Salinas fumbled seven times but only one resulted in a Mustang recovery.
Gilroy finished with 50 yards rushing, another 17 in the air. The Mustangs had the ball eight times but could not manage a single first down in 24 offensive plays. North Salinas dominated timme of possession in running off 70 offensive plays.
“The poor field conditions actually helped us because North Salinas has the fastest high school student in the section in Ronnie Drummer,” Gilroy coach Darren Yafai said of the CCS 100-meter dash champion. The junior halfback carried 27 times for 141 yards, although he was held out of the endzone.
“We played scrappy defense for three quarters, but they finally wore us down,” Yafai said of the Vikings’ late scoring marches. “We made some silly mistakes, we got a little tired on defense, and the better team put it away in the fourth quarter.”
The sloppy field did hamper the passing plays for both teams, although North Salinas stesses the running game. “When we’ve needed a push offensively this year, we’ve done it throwing the ball. With weather like this, we couldn’t throw the ball efffectively.”
The teams muddled through a scoreless first half. Gilroy had the football five times, including one series beginning at the North Salinas 40 in the first quarter. Two illegal procedure penalties moved the Mustangs back across the 50, however, and the Vikings recovered a quarterback John Kirkish fumble on a fourth-down play to stall the promising drive. Three plays later, Drummer skirted the left side for 40 yards and the rest of the half was played on the Gilroy side of the 50.
The Vikings had field goals attempts from 37 and 20 yards in the first half, but both were swatted back by Anthony Gonzalez.
One of the “silly mistakes” Yafai referred to allowed the Vikings to continue a drive toward the game’s first touchdown. With 5:20 left in the third quarter, North Salinas set up for a punt from the Vikes’ 40. Gilroy was called for being offside, and the resulting five-yard march-off left the Vikes with a fourth-and-one opportunity that quarterback Michael Yates converted on a sneak. Drummer and P.J. Daye took turns running through the Mustangs the rest of the drive. Daye slipped through right tackle, fought off one arm tackle at the 20 and churned the final 20 yards untouched for a 6-0 North Salinas advantage with 2:02 to play in the quarter.
The Vikings regained the ball within the next two plays when a Ben Hemeon pass to Roger Ortiz was caught for 17 yards, then fumbled into the hands of Vikes defensive end Matt Rausch at the home team’s 40.
A methodical 14-play drive turned into a 12-0 North Salinas lead. North Salinas converted three third-down plays, including a one-yard sneak to paydirt by Yates with 5:38 left in the contest.
North Salinas recovered a squib kick at midfield, then needed five plays to take a 19-0 lead with 3:15 to play. Drummer opened the march with a 23-yard run and Anthony Harris finished it with a 24-yard romp off left tackle.
While Gilroy has one victory on the ledger, the Acorns have one tie along with eight losses this season. The challenge for the Mustangs this week became larger when Yafai noted that five players, including three starters, will be lost to the squad this week because of grades.
