The Woodland High School varsity football team got themselves into a shootout against the visiting El Dorado, but thanks to a stat-filling effort from quarterback Carter Imbach, and three touchdowns from James Thompson, they came out on top 51-35.
On a night like Friday, who needs defense?
While bone-crushing hits and plugging gaps is great and all, nothing beats runs down the sideline, crisp passing, and scores like the ones on display at Woodland Community Stadium.
"Do I want us to score 50 plus a game? Yes. But does our defense want to allow over 30? No, they dont," said Wolves head coach Javier Marin. "Our defense was able to contain the number three passing yardage leader in the state, but we have to be well balanced for us to compete. It was a much-needed win. Overall, we have progressed since our first game, but we still have a lot of work going into Golden Empire League play."
If Woodland High came into Friday night's game with a heavy heart after a brutal one-point loss to Del Campo last week that pushed their record to 1-3, they showed no signs of it.
"The loss last week was hard," Marin admitted. "We felt we had the game in control, but we didn't win the turnover battle. So we made sure this week to minimize our mistakes."
Woodland running back James Thompson (1) scores from two yards out. He had three rushing touchdowns on the night. (Carlos Guerrero/Daily Democrat)
El Dorado started the scoring on the night on a Wolves mistake and went up 7-0 within the first two minutes of the game.
While Woodland could have let it get to them, they answered right back on the next drive thanks to a winding and weaving 48-yard touchdown run from senior quarterback Carter Imbach. Imbach was a menace not only as a quarterback but as a defender, so the big run to tie it up was only the start for him.
After trading punts, something both teams did very little of the rest of the night, El Dorado got the ball in a very favorable feild position thanks to a great punt return. A few plays later, that same returner would catch a five-yard touchdown, putting the visitors up 14-7.
On the next Wolves drive, running back Ethan Hines scored from two yards out, but a blocked point attempt meant the Wolves still trailed 14-13, but their offense was just getting warmed up. Unfortunately for the Wolves, El Dorados' offense was too.
After another score to make it 21-13, the Wolves drove right back down the El Dorado defense and capped off the drive on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Imbach to Izaiah Cardenas. Down two, Imbach took the two-point conversion attempt right up the middle for a two-yard score, tying the game up at 21 all.
After El Dorado turned the ball over on downs going for it on a short fourth down attempt, Woodland quickly maneuvered themselves down the feild and scored again on a James Thompson two-yard touchdown run.
Since they must have felt they could not be stopped, the Wolves went for two and converted thanks to an outstanding catch from Joseph Cadotte, who was just called up from the junior varsity squad this week. The conversion gave the Wolves an eight-point lead they would not let slip away.
Woodland High School quarterback Carter Imbach (8) rushes for a modest gain during the second quarter of the Wolves' game against El Dorado. (Carlos Guerrero/Daily Democrat)
If anyone in the crowd wasn't impressed by Imbach's great start by now, they indeed were after he caught an interception on the defensive side of the ball, giving the Wolves and himself great feild position.
Right after getting the ball back for his team, Imbach dropped back to pass and found Cadotte again, but this time for a 14-yard touchdown pass, putting the Wolves up 35-21.
On the two-point after attempt, Imbach's luck seemed to run out as he was about to be tackled. Still, somehow, he spun out of danger, composed himself, and gently threw it to James Thompson, who was all alone for the conversion giving Woodland a 16-point lead going into halftime.
Following the break, the scoring didn't stop as El Dorado received the ball and scored on an impressive one-handed catch and run touchdown, cutting the lead to 37-28.
After Woodland was forced to punt on their next possesion, primarily due to a controversial unnecessary roughness penalty on Imbach, who was the ball carrier, Woodland's defense took the feild.
Imbach, perhaps still thinking about the dubious call, took it out on the El Camino running back and hit him perfectly to force a fumble, giving Woodland the ball back in excellent feild position.
Thompson took the offensive lead on the next drive by scoring another two-yard touchdown and then converting the two-point conversion giving the Wolves a 45-28 lead.
A late El Dorado touchdown to make it 45-35 looked to be the last major point of the game until Thompson scored his third touchdown and ended the game at 51-35.
Next for Woodland will be a bye week before they kick off league play with a trip across town to Pioneer High School to take on the Patriots.
"It's perfect timing," Marin said. "It allows us to heal up. We dont have the same numbers as last year, and many players play both ways. It also gives us time to ensure our grades are all set. I call it a prep week for the second half of the season, not a bye week."
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