Panthers whip Eagles 55-6
By John Earp
The Jal High School Panthers Varsity Football Team (1-3) absolutely demolished the Van Horn Eagles (2-1) last Friday evening in Panther Stadium, gaining their first win of the season.
On their first possession after receiving the kickoff, Zadyn Lujan ran the ball from the Jal 37 down to the 14-yard line. Joel Nieto caught a touchdown pass with 11:27 remaining in the first quarter. The two-point conversion attempt failed. The Panthers led 6-0. On the Eagles’ first offensive drive, the Panther Defense was effective especially on stopping the run game. The Eagles punted on fourth down with 9:02 remaining in the first quarter. Coby Vargas then caught a long pass from Daniel Ornelas and was tacked on the Eagles 43-yard line, a nearly 50-yard gain. Vargas then caught another pass near the end zone, running it in for 6. After a bit of scrambling by Ornelas, a pass was successful to Zadyn Lujan for the two-point conversion. Jal led 14-0 with 8:13 remaining in the first quarter.
The Eagles showed some ability to gain ground on their next drive, penetrating Panther territory down to the 35 in three plays. They continued to make progress, and with 6 minutes remaining in the first quarter they were keen to score with first and ten on the Panther 15-yard line. They advance was stopped when the Panthers retrieved a fumble after a hard tackle knocked the ball loose. On the next play, Ornelas completed a long pass that was run down to the 8-yard line by Sebastian Arroyo. Zadyn Lujan then ran it up the middle into the end zone for six more. Extra point was good. Jal led 21-0 with 4:09 remaining in the first quarter.
The Panthers ran the ball well on their next drive, with another touchdown, this time by Andre Rodriguez with 30 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Jal led 28-0, in what was apparently becoming a complete rout. The Panther Offense shut the Eagle Offense down completely on the ensuing drive, leading to an Eagle punt to the Panther 22-yard line with 9:54 remaining in the second quarter. Ornelas took a quarterback keeper up the middle, shedding several tackle attempts, all the way to the end zone for yet another Panther touchdown with 9 minutes remaining in the half. Jal led 34-0.
The Eagle Offense did well on the ensuing drive, moving the ball mainly by rushing. With 5:17 remaining in the first half, Van Horn had a first and ten on the Panther 23-yard line. The Panther Defense rallied though, holding the Eagles to a fourth and 2 situation. Unfortunately for the Panthers, the Eagles then were able to run the ball up the middle for a four-yard gain, giving them a first and goal situation on the 10. Coby Vargas then intercepted an Eagle pass near the line of scrimmage, running it back to the Eagle 5-yard line, giving the Panthers a first and goal situation. Zadyn Lujan then ran the ball into the end zone on the next play for a touchdown. Two-point conversion was good. The Panthers led 42-0 with 3:26 remaining in the second quarter.
The third quarter was very slow paced, with no points scored by either team for the most part. The Eagles were able to move the ball near the end zone, however, with a first and goal on the two-yard line. The Eagles’ quarterback then ran the ball into the end zone for the Eagles, preventing a shutout. Two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful. With 2:58 remaining in the third quarter, Jal led 42-6.
Andre Rodriguez took the ball from the 50-yard line, scrambling across the field, shedding tacklers, all the way down to the Eagle 5-yard line. Zadyn Lujan then caught a pass in the flat, running it to near the goal line, and then struggling into the end zone with an Eagle defender holding him by his legs. Jal led 49-6 with 2:01 remaining in the third quarter.
With 6:12 remaining in the game, Rodriguez ran the ball down the field from the Jal 5-yard line to the Eagle 15-yard line before being caught from behind and pushed out of bounds. Ornelas ran the ball into the end zone with a quarterback keeper from the Eagle 4-yard line. Point after attempt unfortunately failed. With 3:25 left in the game, the Panthers led 55-6. And that would be the final score.
Ornelas had a total of 90 yards rushing with two touchdowns on just five carries. Andre Rodriguez rushed 199 yards and scored two touchdowns on his 12 carries. Zadyn Lujan also scored two of Jal’s touchdowns Friday night. Nolbert Cervantes leads the Panthers in average receiving yards per game at 70, followed by Sebastian Arroyo at 51.3, Coby Vargas at 42, Zadyn Lujan at 38, and Andre Rodriguez at 30. Andre Rodriguez leads the Panthers in average rushing yards at 75, followed by Daniel Ornelas at 47. Ornelas also is averaging 178 yards passing per game. (All stats according to MaxPreps).
The Panthers face Centennial JV in their homecoming game this Friday the 20th.