Before the game against Willow Glen, coach Albert King talked about how he needed more leaders to step up.
At halftime, King got a glimpse of it as the team came together and talked about what needed to get better.
“It was more of a team talk. The coaches didn’t say very much at all,” said running back Andrew Mesa. “We talked as a team. The seniors had a lot of words to say. Other than that, the coaches let us to figure it out.”
While the talk worked — Mesa broke free for a 71-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter— Sobrato still fell 36-12.
“You’re always looking for guys to step up and become leaders, not just vocally, but on the field,” King said. “Again, one of the challenges we have right now is we’re searching for that answer. That answer is many, many, many things for us.”
King is planning on having his boys hit the weight room hard this coming week.
“I’m going to make them become something they fear the most: Young adults. Young men,” King said.
The backbreaker for the Bulldogs came with the 20 points Willow Glen put up in the second quarter.
Sobrato was hampered by the loss of big play maker and most vocal leader joJo Nunn.
But Mesa insisted that even without JoJo, it still comes down to the 11 who are on the field to get the job done.
“It does make a difference, but we’re a team not a one man team. Everybody can do everything,” Mesa said.
King after the game challenged his players to hit the weight room and start building themselves up to take on these teams that have bigger and older players.
“We’re just physically immature. That shows up when you play four quarters,” King said. “Yeah we look good when we play the second half, but a football game is not two quarters it’s four. And that’s what makes this game so special. We’ve got to be able to lay it on the line for four quarters.”
Already leading by 10 after the first quarter, the Rams had two big plays of 30 and 33 yards to set u a two-yard touchdown run by Isaiah Sires-wils.
Willow Glen then went for and recovered an onside kick. Despite facing third and 17 from the Bulldogs 47, Trent Paganini hit Nakai McGowan-smith wide open on a post to go up 24-0.
After Sobrato went three and out, Paganini took Willow Glen on another drive, capping it off with a 23-yard pass to Josh Landers fro 23 yards out for a 30-0 lead.
The Bulldogs went into their 2 minute drill and started moving the ball against Willow Glen and saw some success.
Mesa started things off with a first down with a 13-yard run, followed up by a Willow Glen penalty.
Sobrato converted a key fourth down, but that’s where the drive died.
On first down, Willow Glen recorded a sack and Sobrato ran out of time.
Neither side sustained a drive to start the second half, but Sobrato changed it on the second play of its second drive.
On second and one from their own 29 yard line, Bulldogs’ running back Mesa too the ball to the strong side, got up the sideline and no one caught him for 71 yards as he scored.
Sobrato’s defense held on Willow Glen’s ensuing possession and the Bulldogs went on their best drive of the night — nine plays, 54 yards capped off with Mesa going one yard for a touchdown.
That came at the start of the fourth quarter and pulled Sobrato to witin 18.
The game was put out of reach, however, as Sobrato’s next possession — following a 30-yard field goal attempt that missed — ended on a four and out.
A chance to convert on fourth failed, giving Willow Glen short field position and the Rams converted three plays later.
Hakeem Mays punched the ball in from one yard out.
“All credit to Willow Glen and the things that they were doing. We’re going to get better,” King said. “That’s what we keep saying, ‘we’re going to get better, we’re going to get better.”
Sobrato will have an extra day this week to prepare as it takes on Leland Saturday for homecoming.
Kickoff in that game is scheduled for 7 p.m.
