Defense was the key to the Central Coast Barnstormers
’ 35-0 victory over the Oakland Vipers Saturday in the second
round of the playoffs.
Defense was the key to the Central Coast Barnstormers’ 35-0 victory over the Oakland Vipers Saturday in the second round of the playoffs.
The Vipers would threaten several times, especially in the later part of the game, but the strong Barnstormer defense kept them off the board.
The biggest threat game in the fourth quarter with less than two minutes to play and Oakland had the ball on the Barnstormers’ 10-yard-line. Following the snap, the Viper back-up quaterback found himself under immense pressure from the Barnstormer defense and coughed up the ball.
Linebacker Lance Goularte, a San Benito graduate, scooped up the ball and ran it back, nearly uncontested, for 90 yards.
While the game was not in doubt at that point, it was just the final nail in the Viper’s coffin.
It had been set up following an interception thrown by Gilroy’s James Pottruff, the third turn over given up by the Barnstormers in the game. But each time the offense made a mistake, the Defense stepped in and made sure Oakland would never capitalize.
“At this point, Defense will win games,” said Head Coach Norm Kabbani.
Kabbani has been pleased with his Defense which has only given up six points in the last four games they played.
But while the Defense was busy keeping the Vipers off the board, the offense was busy giving the Defense room to work.
First blood was drawn in the second quarter when quaterback Brian Smith, out of Chico, connected with running back Derrick Morrison, from Nebraska, for a 22-yard touchdown pass.
Morrison would finish the day with 77 rushing yards on 15 carries including an eight-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Smith would connect with an additional six-yard touchdown pass to Rigo Munoz, out of San Jose, in the third quarter.
The final score on offense would come from a one-yard carry from Benny Morales from Salinas.
Oakland would also shoot themselves in the foot during the course of the game with costly penalties, including one during a Barnstormer two-point conversion that failed but was later converted following an encroachment penalty.
The Barnstormers will next their face rivals, the South Bay Buccaneers, who have beaten the Central Coast team in the past.
However, spirits are high amongst the team.
Running back Tommy Jimenez said although they fell to the Bucs earlier in the season, he was confident that they could turn things around Saturday.
“They beat us, but we made mistakes,” Jimenez said. “If we beat ourselves, then we’re out of the game.”
Kabbani is also confident that the Barnstormers can pull it off, citing his team’s overall balance.
“We can do it,” Kabbani said. “We have a very balanced offense and out defense is peaking at the right point in time.”
He added that the game will be tough and hard fought on both sides.
“It is going to be all out war,” Kabbani said. “This is one I want to win.”
The Barnstormers will have their work cut out for them, facing a team that is ranked #2 west of the Mississippi.
“We’re going to have to play great if we want to win,” Kabbani said.
Originally Saturday’s game was going to be played on the Buccaneers’ field. But due to lack of field availability, the game has been scheduled to be played at South Valley Middle School in Gilroy at 1 p.m.