Bolsa Grande coaches congratulate the Matadors on Thursday’s win. (PHOTOS: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).
Bolsa Grande’s football team jumped out to a 24-point lead at halftime then kept rolling in the second half to defeat Savanna 47-22 Thursday night in a Tango League game at Bolsa Grande.
The Matadores (4-2, 3-1) led 30-6 at halftime and added to their lead in the second half. Savanna (3-3, 2-2) was plagued by 18 penalties totalling nearly 190 yards.
Bolsa Grande was penalized 11 times but the Matadors had more than enough offense to overcome the miscues and notch the win in the game that took more than three hours to complete.
Numerous injury delays also added to the lengthy contest.
Nine teams in the league are competing for four CIF playoff berths. Bolsa Grande moved into second place with the win.
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Quarterback Micheal Nguyen led the way for Bolsa Grande completing 14 of 23 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown pass. He also rushed for two touchdowns.
Running back Anthony Bell was tough to stop too rushing for 168 yards and two touchdown runs.
“We knew it was going to be a close game,” said Bolsa Grande Coach Alexis Ramirez. “We prepared for it all week, but I think our boys took the whole week very seriously and we love that we came out on top. We would have loved to have gotten more of our players in, but we knew it was going to be close and we prepared for that.
“This is a nine-week league, you got to win everything, especially after dropping the first one. Dropping the first one hurt, we had a couple players hurt, three crucial players, but now we have them back and if we stay healthy, I think we can make a good run. We just got to get a little bit of help from other teams in the league.”
Nguyen and Bell were thrilled with the win.
“I feel like for me, it was a great victory,” Nguyen said. “This really sends a message to the rest of our league.”
The quarterback was happy to contribute both passing and running.
“That’s a really big part of my skills set, throwing the ball, I’m decent at but being a track runner, my legs are a key part of my skill set.”
“It was a pretty big game, coming in, I’m not going to lie, I was a little nervous but I knew I just had to trust my team, my O-line and my receivers blocking for me and I put that trust in them and they showed out for me and I have no one else to thank but my O-line and my receivers and my quarterback,” Bell added.
“I see these gaps and I just hit them as hard as I can.”
Bolsa Grande, with the help of two major penalities on Savanna, marched to the Rebels 3-yard line in the first quarter, setting up Nguyen’s first TD. The Matadors missed the PAT.
“Micheal did an amazing job again, he had a ton of yards, we know when we give him the ball and we give him a ton of blocking, he will find the hole and take off,” Ramirez said,
Savanna countered on its next drive when Bentley Cruz scored on a 3-yard run. The kick was blocked, leaving the score 6-6.
On the next drive Nguyen connected with Alexander Vargas on an 18-yard TD run on the last play of the first quarter to put the Matadors ahead 13-6.
Bell had a 45-yard TD run and Nguyen a 1-yard run to make it 27-6. Erick Ramos kicked a 26-yard field goal, his first of two on the night, to put Bolsa Grande ahead 30-6 at halftime.
Savanna showed some life at the start of the third quarter when junior quarterback Nate Eich hit Issic Alonzo on a 43-yard TD and with a two-point conversion, the Rebels cut the lead to 30-14.
But penalties continued to help Bolsa Grande on its possessions the rest of the half. Bell had an 8-yard TD in the third quarter and Daymien Sanchez scored on a 9-yard run to extend the lead to 44-14.
Ramos converted on another field goal, this time from 41-yards out to make it 47-14.
“So far his longest this has been a 45-yarder,” Ramirez said, “Tonight, he had a 41-yarder. He’s got a leg, during practice he’s kicking 60 yarders all day.”
Savanna added a late score when backup quarterback Efrain Del Carmen connected with Kayden Young on a 76-yard TD. The Rebels added a two-point conversion.”
Eich, the Rebels starting quarterback, completed 18 of 29 passes for 170 yards with one interception for Savanna, which has dropped its last two league games.
His favorite target was Alonzo, who had 12 catches for 113 yards.
Bolsa Grande’s Slater Espinosa intercepted a pass in the end zone wrestling the ball away from a Savanna receiver in the first half.
Savanna Coach Fred Emmerson and his team left the field immediately after post-game handshakes.
—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
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