Call it an off week. Call it a trap game. Call it homecoming week distractions.

Whatever the American Canyon High School football team calls it, the Wolves don't want to see it happen again.

American Canyon was outplayed by visiting Justin-Siena, 31-22, on Friday at Wolf Den Stadium as the Wolves dropped out of a first-place tie in the Vine Valley Athletic League race.

The players pulled off one of its biggest wins of the season at Casa Grande last week but did not have the same sense of urgency on Friday.

"We had a horrendous week of practice," said American Canyon head coach John Montante. "The coaches were on these guys all week. We showed them film of (Justin) giving Vintage everything they had. We told them, 'They don't care about the score. They play.' Brandon (LaRocco) is a good coach and they're disciplined ..."

Justin-Siena senior running back Caden Parlett ran for 121 yards on 20 carries, scoring on runs of 4, 17 and 40 -- the last two of those coming in the second half.

"We didn't take this week seriously," said American Canyon junior D-lineman David Garcia. "We were goofing off. Coaches told us, but we just didn't listen."

Garcia had a four-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown after a botched snap from the Braves. Kamel Jones added the two-point conversion to cut the lead to 31-22 with 4:09 left in the game. However, the Wolves were unable to recover the onside kick and the Braves ran out the clock.

American Canyon (5-4, 3-2), already without star running back Kapono Liu with a foot issue, saw quarterback Kaleb Anderson go down with an injury in the first quarter and he never came back. Montante did not know the extent of the injury except that it happened to his lower body.

Justin-Siena (5-4, 3-2) led 7-0 after the first of Parlett's touchdowns came late in the first quarter. The Wolves, however, responded on the ensuing drive when tight end-turned-running back James Aken bullied in from three yards out to help tie the game 7-all.

The key play on the drive was a 44-yard burst from running back Kamel Jones Jr. who led the Wolves with 116 yards on 20 carries, almost all of those coming on direct snaps. Aken also had a 15-yard run to help set up his own score.

On Justin's next possession, Wolves linebacker Ryan Landaverde picked off a pass from Justin quarterback Zachary Zurowski. Two plays later, American Canyon running back DJuan Seymore took the handoff and raced 49 yards to the end zone as his team grabbed a 14-7 lead with 7:46 left in the half.

That momentum didn't last long though as Zurowski found Robert Sangiacomo wide open near the American Canyon sideline and the receiver turned the pass play into a 65-yard scoring strike. To say the Wolves didn't have anyone in the same area code is putting it lightly. American Canyon's nearest defender might have been in Contra Costa County.

"That was one of those things that we practiced," Montante said. "We had done that a lot in practice. It busted a lot in practice. We made the coaching points in practice. ... You play like you practice."

The two teams went into halftime 14-14 but it was the Braves who looked like the hungrier team in the third quarter.

Justin-Siena went up 21-14 and ahead for good on its first possession of the third quarter, marching 66 yards on seven plays, culminating with Parlett's 17-yard touchdown. Zurowski (5-for-13, 151 yards) had a 23-yard pass play to Miles Martin on first-and-19 on the drive.

The Braves forced the Wolves to punt on the next drive and Justin scored immediately on its first play as Parlett scored from 40 yards away to make it 28-14.

Justin-Siena added one more score, a 34-yard field goal from Sangiacomo with 8:21 left in the game.

The Wolves attempted just three passes after Anderson departed and they all fell incomplete.

What will Montante and the coaches say to the players to get them motivated for Week 10 against Petaluma?

"Play with pride, play for your teammates, do it for Kaleb," Montante said. "You never know how the playoff picture pans out. We still have a lot to do. Send your seniors out the right way. The season isn't over. Petaluma is going to come to play, so it's a great learning opportunity for our guys."

The score

Justin-Siena 31, American Canyon 22

Next game: Friday vs. Petaluma: 7 p.m.