Thursday Night Lights JV Style: Newbury Park at Dos Pueblos

It was a short week of practice for the Panthers as on Monday we had our game moved from Friday at 4:00 p.m. to a Thursday double-header with our Freshman team at Dos Pueblos' Goleta, California campus.

The Frosh played the Chargers at 4:00 p.m. With a 43-31 win, the Panther Frosh improved their record on the season to a spotless 4-0.  

Then it was time for the 6:00 p.m. JV Main Event . . .

Newbury Park Panthers (3-0)

at

Dos Pueblos Chargers (3-0)

Two undefeated teams squaring off on a pleasant evening for a game of gridiron. What more could you ask for?

Dos Pueblos had a perfect record thanks to victories over:

Pacifica 36-35

Lompoc Cabrillo 42-6

Santa Ynez 24-21

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR AMERICAN FOOTBALL!!!

The view from Dos Pueblo's

Scott O'Leary Memorial Field

Scott O'Leary was the long time Athletic Director, Football Coach and Baseball Coach at DPHS.

He was, simply, A MAN OF HONOR.

MAKE -UP!

Luke Smith helping MLB/H-back Austin Matney get his game face on.

It worked, Austin played well on Thursday

Hunter "Bengy" Leyva

Bengy, unfortunately, hurt his knee on Wednesday. He was enjoying his best practice of the season when he got hurt.

Pre-Game PAT practice

My sister Linda was in the house!

She lives in nearby Santa Barbara.

Mike and I reflecting on the moment

Trainers stretching Athletes

Linda and Mike before the contest

This Week's Captains Out

The Offensive Captain was #7 Tyler Hwang

The Defensive Captain was #49 Austin Matney

The Special Teams Captain was #8 Shawn Gocke

The Scout Team Captain was #63 Ryan Schmidt

Ryan Schmidt is an interesting young man. Due to academic mistakes, he is not eligible to play during the first six games of the season and can only play in our last for games if he has the required 2.00 GPA at the end of the Academic Calendar's First Quarter in mid-October. Still, he comes to practice every day with his A-Game, making us better and better. We are looking foreword to his playing on Friday afternoons soon!

Jack Walsh bringing out the

team and the BIG HAMMER!

Tavis Valenzuela on the opening Kickoff

FIRST QUARTER

Dos Pueblos Ball: The Chargers opted to punch us in the mouth with a time consuming, methodical drive that covered 64 yards on sixteen plays. The drive featured 14 running plays and ended with a 1 yard QB Sneak for the game's first TD. Their kicker split the uprights and with only 2:42 left in the First Quarter it was Dos Pueblos 7 - Newbury Park 0.

We needed to respond. 

Swarming

Although we were hustling and gang tackling on the Chargers' first drive, they had a bruising, large RB who refused to go down easily.

The Noblest Panther of Them All

What if we had 11 players on the field like #23 Andrew Noble?

Newbury Park Ball: The Chargers tried an onside kick to maintain their momentum but it did not travel the required ten yards thus giving the Panthers the ball at the DP 48 yard line. Four consecutive runs by Kalani Sanchez netted 35 yards before Tyler Hwang hit Andrew Noble with a 25 yard scoring pass. After some penalties by both teams, our opening drive gained 60 yards in 6 plays. Dario Longhetto made his PAT and the game was tied, Panthers 7 - Chargers 7.

#16 Daniel "Frenchy" McCoy

taking on an Offensive Tackle

We work on taking on blocks as one of our EDDs, Every Day Drills. Pad under pad, hit on the rise!

PURSUIT!!!

Dos Pueblos Ball: On the last play of the opening stanza, the Chargers returned our Kickoff 96 yards to our own four yard line. Thanks to Longhetto's TD saving tackle we were still alive but hanging on by a four yard long thread.

At the end of the First Quarter it was Newbury Park 7 - Dos Pueblos 7.

What a beautiful setting!

SECOND QUARTER

Dos Pueblos Ball: Two plays into the Second Quarter, the Chargers scored again, the PAT was good and Dos Pueblos regained the lead, Chargers 14- Panthers 6.

This was shaping up to be a 48 minute brawl!

Jack Ensey running to

help Vincent Carreon

Newbury Park Ball: The second Panthers possession only lasted five plays but covered 69 yards as Hwang and Noble connected for their second TD pass of the day, this one from 45 yards out. We missed the PAT so we still trailed, Dos Pueblos 14 - Newbury Park 13.

GANG TACKLING!!!

We definitely needed to step up our defensive effort to take control of the game.

Alex Urias squeezing the gap

Dos Pueblos Ball: Dos Pueblos still opted to keep things rather conservative relying on their big back to carry the load but our defense gave up only 23 yards on seven plays as the blue clad Chargers turned the ball over on downs.

End Zone Camera Crew

#42 Sam Branch & #73 Bengy Leyva

Though both injured, what they do for the team is greatly appreciated.

PAT Block EFFORT!

Vince Carreon and Shawn Gocke getting air time.

OL Magic

Newbury Park Ball: Thanks to continued outstanding blocking by our Offensive Linemen, we put together a seven play, 63 yard drive of our own. Hwang did the honors with a one yard QB sneak but our two-point PAT play failed. Still, we led for the first time, Panthers 19 - Chargers 14.

Kalani Sanchez about to

finish a run violently

Kalani did his best Jim Taylor impression today, attacking potential tacklers. I was proud of him!

A pass from Tyler Hwang

to Andrew Noble, would he score . . .

Andrew's routine day included:

6 catches for 204 yards and 4 TDs

2 Kickoff Returns for 59 yards

3 First Hit Tackles and 2 Assisted Tackles

Again, The Noblest Panther of Them All!

. . . YES!!!

The Joy of HS Football

Laurie took this picture during the Chargers 96 yard Kickoff Return in the First Quarter. I love the look on the non-suited Charger player's face as he tries to go stride-for-stride with his teammates.

A JV game should always be about the love of the game!

Tyler Hwang Slinging It

On the day, Tyler would complete 12 of his 17 passes for 291 yards and five TDs.

Not bad.

Noble is at it yet again

Dos Pueblos Ball: At last, we came up with a Three and Out Punt (T&OP #1). The Panthers held the Chargers to minus three yards on their three plays.

11 Hats to the Ball

That was more like it!

Defensive Captain and MLB
Austin Matney giving chase

BOMBS AWAY!!!

Newbury Park Ball: A quick strike, three play, 47 yard drive ended when Hwang found Ryan Matlock on a WR screen pass for 32 yard TD. Longhetto's kick was good and the game was quickly turning for the better, Panthers 26 - Chargers 14.

Everybody Needs to Block

Dos Pueblos Ball: The Chargers only had time to run one play before the half ended gaining 11 yards on the ground against our loosened off defense trying to defend a potential Hail Mary pass.

At Halftime, it was Newbury Park 26 - Dos Pueblos 14.

Water Down

The First Half was interesting as D.P. had the ball for 29 plays (16 on their first drive) that gained them 99 yards (64 on their first drive) and 14 points while the fast paced Panthers had only 21 plays good for 237 yards and 4 TDs.

Scoring a TD on all four of our First Half possessions was a good thing I suspect.

OL Alex Urias abusing a Charger

THIRD QUARTER

Newbury Park Ball: Picking up where we left off, another three play Panther drive netted 60 yards with Hwang and Noble connecting for their third TD play of the game, this one a 49 yard bomb. Longhetto's PAT was good and Newbury Park was in command, Panthers 33 - Chargers 14.

The Goal Line Offense was rarely
up for NPHS on this day of Big Plays

When it was, a "Paredes" Wedge 
was the call

Dos Pueblos Ball: The Panthers' defense was on the attack as D.P. could only muster minus four yards, T&OP #2!

NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND!

The Defense was not quite done yet as Kalani Sanchez both blocked the D.P. punt and recovered the ball in the back of the end zone. Unfortunately, when Kalani picked up the ball, he had one foot out of bounds, thus N.P. scored a Safety for two point and not a TD.

Still, the Panthers both upped their lead and would get the ball back, N.P. 35 - D.P. 14.

Alex Urias on the Tackle

Newbury Park Ball: Four plays, 40 yards, Hwang to Noble a fourth time for their fourth TD hook up of the evening and a Longhetto PAT made it N.P. 42 - D.P. 14.

Ryan Matlock running away
from the D.P. Defense . . .

. . . for a TD

Kalani Sanchez in the Gloaming

Dos Pueblos Ball: A seven play, 66 yard drive ended with an incomplete pass on Fourth Down.

A Physical Kalani Sanchez . . .

. . . Knocking a Charger
"Ass Over Tea Kettle!"

Salvador Dalí was in the house!

More of Kalani Sanchez

Newbury Park Ball: An eight play, 65 yard scoring drive ended with Sanchez scampering in the last eight yards untouched, Longhetto did it again on the PAT and as the Third Quarter ended it was N.P. 49 - D.P. 14.

We had now scored a TD on all seven of our possessions of the game. More importantly, we now led by 35 points in the Second Half thus invoking the Mercy Rule for our opponent's for the third time in four games, a running clock it would be for the last 12 minutes of the contest.

Sometimes Sanchez was a Blur

On the night, Kalani had:

15 carries for 106 yards and a TD

1 pass reception for 11 yards

5 First Hit and 4 Assisted Tackles

2 Kickoff Returns for 10 yards

He also got a 15 yard penalty for targeting at the end of the game as a ball carrier when in the open field he veered to attack a Charger DB who was pursuing him so that he could run him over.

Former Green Bay Packers Fullback Jim Taylor was smiling somewhere.

Offensive Line
GREAT JOB TONIGHT!!!

FOURTH QUARTER

Dos Pueblos Ball: With the clock running and a lot of clean white N.P. jerseys in the game, D.P. wasted little time in covering 71 yards in only three plays. Their PAT was good but the Panthers were still in cruise control mode, N.P. 49 - D.P. 21.

Spencer Thompson
Running around like a Mad Man

Newbury Park Ball: The Panthers' final possession of the game would be a 37 yard, eight play, ground oriented affair that saw the gun go off to end the game. It was N.P.'s only non-TD producing drive of the night.

The Game Hammer

For his spirited, physical play in the game, Kalani Sanchez earned the Dos Pueblos Game Hammer.

Paying Attention . . . for once

So, after a rocky start, the Panthers acquitted themselves quite well.

Offensively, N.P. had 414 yards (123 yards rushing and 291 yards passing) on 44 plays, a 9.4 yard per snap average. We scored seven TDs.

Defensively, we gave up 221 yards on 43 plays (again, 16 plays on their first drive), an average of 5.1 yards per play.

Our Special Teams did a good job other than on D.P.'s long Kickoff Return. Besides blocking a Charger punt for a Safety, they continually gave us great field position and short fields on which to score . . . and score . . . and score.

GREAT JOB PANTHERS!!!

The Stardust Twins
Bengy Leyva and Tyler Hwang

Passing out the PB&Js

In anticipation for the 90 minute bus ride home, Laurie and I made the boys peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwiches.

A win and PB&Js . . . LIFE IS GOOD!!!

It was great talking to my sister

Linda after the game

Thanks for your support Linda!

The Panthers return to action next Friday, September 26 at 4:00 p.m. at Newbury Park H.S. for an intriguing matchup with a team that is a powerhouse down in San Diego, the 4-0 Cathedral Catholic Dons.

This will be a challenge to say the very least.