GILROY—The Gavilan College Rams shook off a 24-14 halftime deficit to strike for seven touchdowns in the second half on the way to a 63-50 non-conference victory over the Shasta Knights at Garcia-Elder Sports Complex Saturday evening.
Gavilan did the most with 19 pass attempts by freshman quarterback Drew Fryhoff, connecting for five touchdowns and 362 yards on 11 completions.
Armani Miller snagged four touchdown tosses among his six connections. On the other side of the formation, Deniko Carter snared four passes for 157 yards and one touchdown.
“He’s able to put a great vertical stretch on the field,” said Shasta coach Craig Thompson on Carter’s showing. “He has tremendous focus on the ball.”
Neither coach came away pleased with the overall play.
“We allowed too many big plays defensively,” said Thompson. “Gavilan’s program keeps getting better. They have some real good athletes making some plays. We’re undisciplined right now—we shot ourselves in the foot in this game.”
Gavilan’s Spencer Gilford noted that “we missed a lot early before we settled down. (Fryhoff) started slow, but once we got going he was okay. We’re going to be an explosive offense. Once we take care of our mistakes on defense, we’ll be fine. Shasta scored on big plays. That’s what we have to clean up.”
Shasta recorded a 629-432 edge in total offense. Quarterback Dylan Desmarias went 29 for 44 for 440 yards and four scores.
Shasta appeared ready to dominate play by reaching a 24-7 lead before the game was seven minutes into the second quarter.
Gilford acknowledged that his cornerbacks are all freshmen and the play of the defensive secondary must improve to challenge in conference action. The uneven play in the secondary showed early when Knight wide-out Kody Sindorf slipped past the defense to catch a 53-yard pass 90 seconds into action. Desmarias scored on a sneak with 12:18 to play in the first quarter for the 7-0 advantage.
The Knights had a 14-2 edge in first downs while taking a 24-7 lead with 8:29 left in the half on a 19-yard run by Connor Silveria. The only spark for Gavilan came on a 58-yard pass from Fryhoff to Miller early in the second quarter.
Shasta slipped late in the first half by having three penalties to do most of the damage as Gavilan posted its second touchdown, a Miguel Redmond two-yard run.
Gavilan did not fully start its rally until after the Knights took a 30-14 lead with 10:41 left in the third quarter.
Carter’s leaping catch off a lofted pass by Fryhoff at the Shasta one set up a Fryhoff TD sneak at the 8:13 mark to make it 30-21. The Rams struck again off a 33-yard fumble return by Ferris Gonzalez to the Shasta seven. Fryhoff and Miller combined on a 21-yard bubble screen to paydirt and a 30-28 deficit at 6:37.
Gavilan used a second quarterback sack and fumble to move into the lead for the first time. Shasta was near midfield when Desmarias was hit from behind and lost the ball. Jonathan Aguilar made the recovery and covered 41 yards to the Shasta three.
“Someone else hit the quarterback and the ball came loose,” explained Aguilar. “I scooped it up. I thought I was about to score but my teammates were too close and I kind of tripped over them.”
Anthony Brooks high-stepped through the right side from one yard out as the Rams earned a 35-30 lead with 2:55 left in the hectic third quarter.
Shasta, continuing to feast off the Ram secondary, needed three plays to regain the lead at 36-35, Desmarias finding Brock Barr open for the 57-yard scoring play.
Gavilan scored three plays later, a 25-yard Miller reception, to carry a 42-36 lead into the fourth quarter.
Three touchdowns were scored within the first five minutes of the fourth quarter. Carter raced behind the Shasta secondary for an 83-yard bomb. The Knights came back with a 63-yard TD pass to Sindorf three plays later. Fittingly, Gavilan used three plays to take a 56-43 lead, Miller shaking off two potential tacklers to jet 63 yards to paydirt.
The Knights had one final chance to pull out the win when Silveria scored from one yard out with 3;24 left to trail 56-50.
Shasta forced a punt, but the Ram secondary made Desmarias pay moments later. With a first down at the Knight 43, Desmarias lined a pass in the left flat toward Sindorf. Shaq Jones, a frosh corner, cut inside the route, made the interception and scooted 49 yards to the closing touchdown.
“I cut inside, jumped the pass and was off,” said Jones. “That was my first-ever touchdown—one I will always remember.”
