Strathmore beats Granite Hills on trick play

STRATHMORE — Primed from the previous JV game, the crowd was ready to get the 2010 varsity football season started. The Strathmore pep band and cheerleading squad were paving the way with catchy tunes and motivating cheers. ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL? Was the call from the booth. Both the Spartans and the Grizzlies answered the call, with Strathmore eventually answering the final call for a trick play to give it a 22-16 win Friday in Strathmore.

On their opening drive, Strathmore marched down the field and chewed up the clock. It looked as if they were the same Valley Championship team as they were last year. Andres Perez from Granite Hills interrupted the drive with his interception. Giving Granite Hills the ball on their own 11 yard line.

Strathmore’s defense made up for the mistake by holding the Grizzlies to just 3 yards forcing a punt.

Mishandling the punt was Strathmore giving the Grizzlies excellent field position. This ultimately led to the first TD pass from Blas Roman to Jorge Huanaco. The PAT was kicked by Beto Huerta.

In the second quarter, through a mix of passes and runs the Spartans’ Juan Medrano scored on a 7 yard run after being set up by a first down run by Mario Lemus. Medrano tacked on 2 points with the conversion to give Strathmore an 8-7 lead.

With the defense starting to settle in, both Julio Arellano, quarterback for Strathmore, and Roman, quarterback for Granite Hills, started to feel the impacts of some serious hits. With 1:32 left in the first half the Grizzlies forced a fumble and quickly capitalized as Tello Guzman received a pass for another Granite Hills TD. The PAT was blocked and the score at the end of the first half was Granite 13, Strathmore 8.

The third quarter looked as if it would start off with a bang as Brandon Avalos stunned the crowd with an 80 yard kick off return for a TD. However it was called back by a penalty.Much of the of the third quarter was plagued with penalties and injuries (cramps). It dragged on. No more bang.

A pass interference call in the fourth quarter set up a 19 yard TD run by Strathmore’s Medrano putting the Spartans up 14-13.

After the ensuing kick off blunder, Granite Hills had excellent field position starting on their own 47. The Grizzlies began their pass attack, led by Roman throwing and Avalos receiving.

The Spartans’ defense was able to slow the drive down enough to hold the Grizzlies to a field goal. Granite Hills on top 16-14.

What may be their last drive, Strathmore starts on their 28 then moving the chains to the 42. Coach Jeromy Blackwell then reaches into the bag and pulls out the ol’ “backward incomplete pass to Martin Baca then while the defense is frozen, throw it to the all alone Emelio Gutierrez” trick. This put Strathmore up 22-16 which was the eventual final.

After the game Coach David Coldiron said “We fought hard throughout the game. We’ve grown throughout the summer and we’ll learn from our experience and react better.”

“Granite Hills came prepared,” Blackwell said, but “we felt we could move the ball anytime, the three turnovers hurt us.”