Segerstrom’s Logan Rosales tries to get past Kalaun Smith of Palm Springs. (Photos courtesy Mark Bausman, For OC Sports Zone).
Segerstrom High School’s football team opened the season Friday with a tough 38-32 loss in two overtimes to Palm Springs on a hot evening in the desert town.
The kick-off was pushed back about a half hour because of the warm temperatures.
To see the slide show, click on the first photo:
“Last night we experienced first hand what it’s like to play in the desert,” Segerstrom Coach Joseph Tagaloa said Saturday. “Hats off to Palm Springs for a hard fought game. After one half of football, several of our guys exerted themselves to the point of exhaustion and were kept out of the game or only played a fraction of the snaps for precautionary reasons.
“Offensively we were led by running back Ayden Morales and Gabriel Vergara at receiver. Both our quarterbacks played well. Louis Garcia threw two touchdowns, one to Jullian Hernandez and the other to Gabriel Vergara, while rushing for a third. Noah Martinez also connected with Vergara to convert a third and long for a touchdown.”
But the Jaguars came up short in other areas.
“Our special teams unit had far too many penalties that negated several big plays,” Tagaloa said. “Defensively we didn’t play as well as expected. We are going to watch the film and make the necessary adjustments to make sure we are ready for next week.”
Segerstrom plays at Santa Ana Valley (0-1) Friday night.
“We got Valley next, so we must learn from our mistakes and be ready to go,” Tagaloa said.
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