San Jose City College exploded to a 28-7 lead in the first
quarter and cruised to a 56-28 win over Gavilan
SAN JOSE — Last week, the lights went out on the Gavilan Rams as their game with De Anza was canceled.
Saturday night on the Jaguars’ field, the lights went out figuratively as host San Jose City College exploded to a 28-7 lead in the first quarter and cruised to a 56-28 win over Gavilan.
The Rams will take a 0-1 Coast Conference mark to Monterey Saturday to play the 1-1 Lobos at 6 p.m.
“We couldn’t stop anyone,” Gavilan head coach John Lango said of the team’s fifth loss in six outings.
“We did some good stuff on offense,” added the coach. “Sean Hale had a good game.”
Hale ran 21 times for 97 yards and one touchdown.
Gavilan left tackle Wade Jacobson and left guard Charles Gallagher were out because of injuries and Lango switched a pair of defensive-line starters into the offensive unit.
“That definitely hurt us on our front line defense,” Lango said.
San Jose City, coming off a 32-29 loss to Hartnell last week, “came out more inspired,” Lango said.
The Jaguars made first downs on 10 of their first 12 plays on the way to a 21-7 lead with 6:21 left in the first quarter.
Freshman quarterback Jacob Cuellar directed three quick scoring drives, setting up touchdown runs of nine and two yards from Kendrickus Reed and one yard from Jerome DeCosta.
Gavilan, trailing 14-0 with 4:21 gone in the game, responded with an eight-play, 49-yard touchdown drive that Anthony Pittman set up with a 47-yard kickoff return. Mike Incardona’s 14-yard pitch to Victor Sapp moved the Rams to the 12. A Jaguar offsides call and a 5-yard reception by Tim Harvey left Gavilan at the 2. Hale then slipped off left guard for the touchdown and Gus Silva added the point-after kick and the Rams trailed 14-7 with eight minutes left in the quarter.
The pace slowed in the second half of the first quarter as San Jose City faced its first third down situation and eventually punted. Gavilan also punted twice, the second leaving San Jose City at Gavilan’s 42 after a Ram clipping penalty.
Three plays later, San Jose City was up 28-7. Freshman wideout Chris Albright caught a slant pass from Cuellar and split the defenders on the way to a 43-yard touchdown burst with 17.3 seconds left in the period.
Both teams added one touchdown in the second quarter. Incardona directed a 71-yard touchdown drive in six plays, capped by Hale’s 20-yard run off right guard that left two tacklers set aside. The Jaguars countered with Reed’s third six-pointer with 6:25 left in the half.
San Jose City went 55 yards to a 42-14 lead with 10:34 left in the third quarter — Reed’s fourth touchdown of the night covering 6 yards.
Incardona directed a 15-play touchdown march over 87 yards, finishing with a 1-yard touchdown toss to Timothy Harvey with 5:14 left.
Albright highlighted the next San Jose City series with a 39-yard change of direction catch-and-run play to the Ram 5. DeCosta stepped in from 5 yards out on the next play.
Five plays into the next series, Incardona fumbled under pressure and Jaguar John Horner ran the recovery back 43 yards for the hosts’ final touchdown.
Matt Edwards quarterbacked the next Rams series, leading to a 20-yard scoring pass to James Gaynor to leave it 56-28 with 12:11 left in the game.
“We moved the ball very well,” San Jose City head coach Carlton Connor said. “The offensive line was able to do some good things. Give Gavilan credit, they were able to score a lot. It’s always a tough game when you go against Gavilan.”
San Jose defeated Gavilan 20-10 in non-conference play on Sept. 26.
San Jose City finished with a 482-366 edge in total offense. Incardona was 20 of 36 for 185 yards, while Cuellar covered 273 yards on a 16 of 24 effort. Albright led all receivers with 119 yards on four catches. Harvey finished with eight catches for 74 yards, while Victor Sapp had six for 31 yards.
Fittingly, less than 10 minutes after the game concluded, all of the lights went out at San Jose City and the teams and fans were quickly led out of the stadium.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Lady Rams win seventh straight
The Gavilan College women’s volleyball team won its seventh straight match Friday when it swept Hartnell College 25-13 25-11, 25-18.
The victory follows another three-game win — 25-14, 25-16, 25-13 — against Monterey Peninsula College last Wednesday in Gilroy. The Lady Rams are 4-0 in the Coast Conference play and 12-5 overall.
Gavilan will host West Valley College at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
