[New post] Vallejo falls to Fairfield in home opener
Thomas Gase posted: "As the Vallejo High School football team prepared to play Fairfield at Corbus Field on Friday night, the Redhawks figured they were in for an easy matchup. After all, Vallejo had won three straight games against the Falcons, who suffered six straight losi" Times Herald Online
As the Vallejo High School football team prepared to play Fairfield at Corbus Field on Friday night, the Redhawks figured they were in for an easy matchup. After all, Vallejo had won three straight games against the Falcons, who suffered six straight losing seasons during a 38-game losing streak.
Not so fast. This isn't your older brother's Fairfield football team.
A complacent Vallejo team couldn't hold on to the ball offensively and struggled on special teams in a 42-22 loss to the Falcons. Fairfield moved to 3-0 on the season, while Vallejo fell to 1-1.
"We got a little too confident and it showed in this game," said senior running back Sedrick Vaughn. "We got big-headed and it took a toll in our game. We let them come in here and disrespect us and to get punched in the mouth like that just breaks my heart. We thought it was going to be what it was last year (a Vallejo win), just at our home field this time. For them to come out here and do exactly what we did to them last year just shows that we need to start taking practice more serious."
Head coach Mike Wilson III said the team will go back to the drawing board.
"We didn't play our best ball," Wilson said. "We got complacent. They thought they were the old Fairfield and they beat us."
Vallejo quarterback Jasier Smith had a big week in the season opener, but struggled at home. He had five turnovers during the game— three interceptions and two fumbles.
"Too many turnovers this week," Wilson said. "We turned the ball over and had too many penalties. We didn't do that last week but we had too many this week. We're going to address the turnovers and the penalties. We're going to try and forget this game and move forward. We're going to focus now on Frontier (next week's matchup) and improve."
Early in the game it looked like Smith and Vallejo were clicking on all cylinders. Smith found sophomore David Bernstine III wide open for a 71-yard touchdown to tie the game 6-all in the first quarter. Bernstine, who would sit out much of the second half with cramps, finished with 97 yards receiving on five catches. He also threw a pass for 27 yards.
Fairfield took a 13-6 lead in the second quarter when Tristen Smith found Josh Tucker open for a 6-yard score.
Vallejo came right back three minutes later when Jasier Smith found Vaughn open for a touchdown that previously deflected off the hands of Robert Guzman and was nearly intercepted. The two-point conversion was successful and the Redhawks had a 14-13 lead.
It would not last long.
Tucker took the following kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown to give a Fairfield a 19-14 advantage. That lead was stretched to 27-14 four plays later when Nasir Miranda Johnson picked up a fumble and ran 55 yards for a score.
Vallejo attempted to come back, but everywhere the Redhawks looked Tucker was lurking like John Dillinger near a bank. He intercepted three passes in the second half to thwart any Vallejo offensive threat.
Tucker's first interception near the end of the first quarter led to him scoring a touchdown on a 12-yard pass from Tristen Smith on an untimed play due to a previous penalty as time expired. Tucker had five catches for 49 yards to go with his kickoff return touchdown and three picks.
The Vallejo defense chase after Lebeau Wallace after he picked up a block field goal attempt and ran it in for a touchdown during Friday's 42-22 loss to Fairfield. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald)
In the third quarter, Vallejo blocked a field goal and had it returned 75 yards for a Lebeau Wallace touchdown to give Vallejo life and cut the lead to 34-22. But that's as close as it would get.
Tucker intercepted his second pass of the night and Fairfield scored eight plays later when Damauryon Rumsey caught a 16-yard pass to make it 42-22.
Any attempt at a late comeback was put to bed when Tucker picked off his third pass of the night with just over five minutes remaining.
Vaughn said Vallejo will regroup and learn from its mistakes. Vaughn had three rushes for 51 yards and five catches for 50 yards.
"I want to take away that we can't underestimate any team, no matter what you think of them," Vaughn said. "We need to give 100 percent as long as we can in a game. For us we need to work on discipline and looking out for each other. This game, I'm at a loss for words. I came out here with confidence and a smile on my face. How do I get that back? Bonding with my team and making the rest of the season personal."
No comments:
Post a Comment