The fourth quarter at Carpinteria High’s Memorial Stadium began with its never-say-die cheerleaders issuing their traditional “Warrior Quarter” chant.
Then Will Collins made it happen with a 90-yard touchdown run. He slipped through a big hole on the right side and blew past a defender for the biggest play of the night …
OK. OK. So, St. Genevieve was already ahead 42-0, and the clock was spinning in mercy mode, it was still the only score in the final quarter as the visiting Valiants “settled” for a 42-7 non-league win. Just saying…
Collins’ long run really was about the only highlight for the home team, unless you count the touchdown-saving tackle by kicker Vincent Rinaldi on the ensuing kickoff.
By that time, though, many of the Warrior defenders we’re fortunate not to be stuck in whiplash mode after seeing a dizzying array of speedy backs and receivers for the unbeaten (4-0) Valiants dart through their line and secondary.
Camdan McWright rushed for 143 yards on just six carries, scoring on a 62-yard run and 7-yard pass from Danny Rodriguez to lead St. Genevieve, while Michael Taufahema proved a double threat with a 38-yard touchdown run and a 50-yard interception return.
Jason Canales caught a 13-yard pass from Rodriguez for a touchdown and totaled 66 yards on five catches while Michael Moulton had the other score, the game’s first, on a 12-yard run.
“They had a lot of fast guys,” noted Carpinteria coach Mario Robinson, whose Warriors fall to 1-2. “It seemed they had a fast guy at every position.”
Except, perhaps, at right guard, where the Valiants had to settle for massive, in the person of 6-foot-8, 350-pound senior Christian Hodge. He wasn’t as mobile or dominating as the Michael Oher character in the movie, “The Blind Side,” but he certainly looked the part. And nobody got past him.
“They had a lot of good players,” said Collins. “We thought we had prepared enough for them, but we need to play harder; we need to play harder and that’s what we are going to have to do next week.”
Robinson agreed.
“I appreciate that we have a lot of guys going both ways,” he said. ” We just have to play with heart and we need to execute. They were a good team but we did not execute well. “
Collins’ long run gave him 119 yards on 11 carries. But that was also one of only three first downs earned by the Warriors, who literally played the entire first half on their side of the field while falling behind 28-0.
Quarterback Diego Mendez completed 7-of-18 passes for 22 yards and was intercepted twice. No Warrior runner save Collins had a carry that reached the line of scrimmage.
Taufahema had 53 yards on five carries and Moulton 38 on five carries. Rodriguez completed 13 of 16 passes for 109 yards.