MERCED
– Gavilan College’s football season has produced a 0-2 record so
far and the schedule is not about to become any easier for the
Rams.
MERCED – Gavilan College’s football season has produced a 0-2 record so far and the schedule is not about to become any easier for the Rams.
The Merced College Blue Devils blanked the Rams 49-0 Saturday night at Stadium 76, leaving Gavilan with 120 points allowed since the 2011 campaign opened.
The Rams face ‘A’ conference College of the Sequoias Saturday at 5pm at Garcia-Elder Sports Complex. Once the five-game pre-Coast Conference schedule ends, Gavilan opens conference action against defending champion San Jose City College on Oct. 15 at the Jaguars’ stadium.
Gavilan showed an improved running game against Merced, but penalties and fumbles cost the visitors any chance to make a run at an upset. Instead, Merced carried a 20-0 lead into halftime and piled up 29 points in a dominating second half.
“We were better running the ball,” said first-year head coach Spencer Gilford of the Rams. “We got more physical in the running game and the offensive line showed up. Too many mistakes early cost us. We as coaches need to do a better job on the little things that hurt us.”
Gavilan was flagged for 16 penalties for 86 yards. Three five-yard penalties for lining up offside on defense, as well as three more for jumping offside, negated Gavilan’s potential to stop the Merced offense in the first half. In the second half, offensive penalties kept the Rams from moving the ball consistently.
Merced, 2-0 under second-year coach Bob Casey, received a solid effort by freshman quarterback Trevor Pew. The Central Valley High graduate completed 13 of 19 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns.
“Our defense kept us in the game,” Casey said. “We’ve been known as a running team but this was one of those games where our passing was strong.”
After 20 scoreless minutes, the Blue Devils took a 7-0 lead when Darnodo Smith capped a 15-play, 93-yard march with a one-yard plunge into the endzone.
Gavilan took the game’s opening kick-off and picked up three first downs and 45 yards to the Blue Devils 29. A fake field goal resulted in Jakari Johnson being sacked for a 10-yard loss. The Rams’ defense ended Merced’s first possession at the Gavilan 23 when CJ Miller and Justin Currier combined to sack Mew on fourth down.
A 46-yard pass play from Nate Ellis to Shakeith Fields put the Rams at the Merced 14. A false-start penalty delayed the Rams’ assault and Johnson was tackled for no gain on a fourth-and-three try at the seven.
Once Merced took the 7-0 lead with 9:35 left in the half, Gavilan’s offense stalled for most of the second quarter.
Johnson fumbled the ball away on the first play of the next series Gavilan’s Dorian Wood intercepted a Mew pass one play later. Gavilan was forced to punt, but not before being called for 12 men on the field on a punt attempt. The Blue Devils took over at the Ram 45, scoring nine plays later on a 47-yard TD pass from Mew to Jarrell Davis. The nine plays following the Gavilan punt included two Ram penalties for lining up offside. One flag would have left Merced with a fourth-and-four at the 39. A second flag cost a Gavilan fumble recovery at the 42.
When Ellis was sacked and fumbled the ball away on the first play of the next series, Merced went 39 yards in four plays. Tyree Jones ran around the left flank for the final 15 yards and a 20-0 halftime cushion.
Gavilan used strong running by Ellis and a pair of passes to Johnson to reach the Merced 21 with nine seconds left in the half. When Gavilan was called for another illegal procedure call, a 10-second run-off left the Rams with no time for a final play.
Merced scored on its first two possessions of the second half, a three-yard run by Smith and a one-yard pitch from Mew to tight end Alex Young to make it 34-0.
The Blue Devils scored twice in the fourth quarter. Reon Scales ran back an interception of an Omar Kharroob pass 31 yards with 8:50 left. Merced earned two more points when the point-after kick was blocked and a Blue Devil was able to pick up the ball and scamper into the endzone. Jones added a three-yard TD run with 4:28 left.
Ellis finished with 133 yards on a 6-of-8 passing effort. Johnson led the Rams with 31 rushing yards. Merced posted a 439-215 edge in total offense, 24-15 in first downs.
