Tavares Pressley scored five touchdowns Saturday night as the
Monterey Peninsula College Lobos spoiled Gavilan’s Homecoming Game
47-7 at the Garcia-Elder Sports Complex at Gilroy High School.
Gilroy – Tavares Pressley scored five touchdowns Saturday night as the Monterey Peninsula College Lobos spoiled Gavilan’s Homecoming Game 47-7 at the Garcia-Elder Sports Complex at Gilroy High School.
Coach John Lango’s Rams, 1-1 in the midst of a four-game Coast Conference campaign, managed to spoil the Lobo shut-out bid when Ellis Krout snared a 4-yard touchdown pass from Will Kilday on the first play of the fourth quarter.
“We didn’t tackle very well,” said Lango after watching his charges slip to 2-6 with road dates with DeAnza and Cabrillo ahead. “We didn’t play well offensively. (Monterey Peninsula) played like a 6-1 team, we looked like a 2-6 team.
“Trailing 33-0 by halftime was ridiculous,” added Lango. “A 47-7 loss is embarrassing. We suited up 33 players but many didn’t really come to play.”
The Lobos, also 1-1 in conference play while improving to 7-1 for the season, were forced to punt on their first two possessions.
The Rams returned the favor with two punts in the game’s first nine minutes. The second Anthony Vasquez punt pushed MPC back at the Lobo 15. The visitors than struck for a touchdown within four plays. Faced with a second-and-8 call at the Lobo 27, quarterback Jason Wade stepped up into the pocket and found wideout Jermaine Carter alone behind the Gavilan secondary for a simple 73-yard romp to the endzone. Juan Cabrera’s PAT kick sailed wide right, leaving the Lobos with a 6-0 advantage with 4:02 left in the opening quarter.
The Rams failed to record a first down on the next series. A Vasquez punt attempt was blocked, Lobo lineman picking up the ball at the 14 and reaching the five. Pressley coasted around the left flank for the five-yard TD, Cabrera making it 13-0 with 1:47 left in the first quarter.
The Lobos pushed across three touchdowns in the second quarter for a 33-0 edge at the break.
Vasquez was able to get a punt away on the next series. Pressley turned that apparent good fortune into more points for the Lobos. The scatback darted to the right sideline, then slipped across the field while picking up blockers before finding the left pylon to complete the 56-yard return. Cabrera converted for the 20-0 lead with 14:40 to play in the half.
Monterey Peninsula struck for two touchdowns in the final 2:14 of the quarter. Tight end Gabe Ruelas caught a four-yard TD pitch from Wade with 2:14 left. Cabrera could not make the PAT because of a poor center snap. The Lobos then made it 33-0 with a 12-yard Wade-to-Pressley touchdown aerial and Cabrera PAT boot.
Pressley, on the way to 165 yards rushing in just 11 attempts, scored from 11 yards out with 10:25 to go in the third quarter. After Krout’s score in the fourth, Pressley countered with a 70-yard burst to paydirt with 13:41 to go in the contest.
Other than the blocked punt, Gavilan did not commit a turnover. Kilday completed 15-of-29 passes for 171 yards. Krout finished with five grabs for 68 yards, Tim Abbott three for 26 and Jermey Burns two for 38 yards. Matt Perkins covered 68 yards in 15 assignments to pace the Ram ground attack. Gavilan managed 13 first downs, the Lobos 15. Wade went 11-for-16 for 182 yards.
“Matt Perkins, coming back from injury, ran extremely hard,” said Lango. “I was proud of the way he played.”
