The Cabrillo Seahawks scored 10 unanswered points in the second
quarter and held on to defeat the Gavilan Rams 20-13 Saturday night
at Carl Conelly Stadium.
APTOS – The Cabrillo Seahawks scored 10 unanswered points in the second quarter and held on to defeat the Gavilan Rams 20-13 Saturday night at Carl Conelly Stadium.
Phillip Bliss kicked a pair of Seahawk field goals to make the difference as both teams emerged with 1-2 records.
“We made one or two fewer mistakes than they did,” summed up Cabrillo coach Bill Garrison.
“It was a close game, very physical. Gavilan showed a lot of character. I’m proud that our kids were able to rally.”
Gavilan posted a 309-267 edge in total offense, 20-17 in first downs, 63-55 in total plays. Neither team committed a turnover.
The Rams turned a 19-play opening series into a 6-0 lead.
Sophomore quarterback Nick Kalantari directed the drive, completing 4-of-7 pass attempts while converting three third-down situations and one fourth-down play.
A 13-yard strike from Kalantari to Tim Lango reached Cabrillo territory. After Kalantari snuck for two yards on a fourth-down, a 25-yard seam pass to Doug Stewart left the Rams with a first down at the Cabrillo one. Kalantari rolled right to find Victor Sapp open for the touchdown. The two-point PAT try was unsuccessful with 7:19 left in the quarter.
The Seahawks responded with a drive to the Gavilan two, yet settled for a Bliss 22-yard field goal after the Rams pushed the hosts back to the five after three plays.
Cabrillo scored on two consecutive possessions in the second quarter to take a 13-6 lead.
Quarterback Nick Wanner was 4-for-5 on a 41-yard drive to a go-ahead score, diving over from the one with 5:48 left in the half for the 10-6 Seahawk edge.
After a three-and-out series for Gavilan, the Seahawks recorded two first downs before Bliss converted a 42-yard field goal with 1:29 left.
Kalantari found Tim Harvey open for a 37-yard pass into Cabrillo turf in the half’s final minute, but the Rams ran out of time at the Seahawk 17.
Cabrillo appeared to put the game away with an opening series in the second half that produced a 20-6 lead. Wanner’s pitch of 13 yards to David Johnson on third-and-ll to the Ram one was followed by another one-yard Wanner TD scramble with 9:47 left in the third.
The Rams bounced back for a final touchdown behind quarterback Connor Farotte. Stewart pulled in an 8-yard Farotte pass on a fourth-down play to the Hawk 29. Farotte rolled right on the next play and hit Stewart for 18 yards. Lango dove over from the one with 1:07 left in the quarter, Mike Blewett adding the PAT.
Farotte was at the controls for the final two Gavilan series in the fourth quarter. Each series netted three first downs, but sacks on both series helped the Hawks repel further Ram scoring chances.
“We did mess up two pass protections late and that cost us,” said Gavilan coach John Lango. “We played hard and were focused. I don’t think we tackled well. We were banged up a little on the defensive line.”
Farotte was 14-of-19 for 115 yards, Kalantari 7-of-10 for 116 yards. Stewart caught nine passes, Harvey six. Lango paced the rushers with 37 yards on 13 carries. Wanner was 13-of-23 for 125 yards.
