Almaden Resident
Sports
Chargers play tough, but fall to Pirates in CCS semifinals
By Brad Wall
After dropping their first two games of the 2006 football season, the Leland Chargers went on a nine-game winning streak.
The Chargers ran through the Santa Teresa League Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League, won a double overtime thriller against the Alisal Trojans in the first round of the Central Coast Section Large School Division playoffs.
The only thing standing in the way of a date in the CCS championship game was Piedmont Hills.
It was supposed to be a classic match up between the Pirates' high-powered passing attack and the Chargers' dominating ground game.
However Piedmont's senior running back Bobby Mathews had other ideas.
"All year we tried to run the ball but we've been more successful throwing it," said Pirates head coach Matt Kiesle. "Leland said they were going to stop the pass ... [and] we're going to take what they give us."
With the Chargers (9-3, 7-0) determined to shut down the pass, Mathews ran wild with 34 carries for 234 yards and two touchdowns as the Pirates (7-5, 4-3) surprisingly dominated the ground in their 26-14 victory in the CCS semifinals.
"My hat's off to the Piedmont Hills team. Their staff and kids did a great job and we unfortunately didn't," said Leland head coach Jason Tenner. "We played hard but sometimes that's not enough."
Coming into the game, the Pirates were led by the combination of quarterback Danny Cruz and wide receiver Alex McCarthy. Cruz had thrown for over 2,600 yards while McCarthy had over 1,200 yards receiving.
McCarthy had a string of four straight games with over 100 yards receiving; however cornerback Nate Jones completely shut him down, limiting McCarthy to just one catch for 17 yards.
With just over 300 yards rushing for the season, Mathews, statistically, was an afterthought.
"I wanted them to run the ball," said Tenner. "I thought our defensive line and our linebackers would be good enough to shut them down, but we missed a bunch of tackles and didn't get off their blocks, and you can't stop the run that way."
The Chargers pulled out every bit of mojo they had. Not only did they wear their powder blue uniforms, but Tenner had the Charger lightning bolts etched into his hair.
At first it appeared as if the mojo would work.
The game started off great for the Chargers as Adam Ondi recovered a fumble on the opening kick-off and the Chargers were able to start the game with the ball on the Pirates 28-yard-line.
Hammering the Pirates with their dynamic duo of Ondi and Lance Gemette, the Chargers pounded the ball down to the Pirates 4-yard-line.
However, in a harbinger of things to come, the Pirate defense stiffened as they stonewalled the Chargers. Facing a fourth-and-goal from the one, the Chargers called upon Ondi, who leapt over the Pirate defense for the first touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
On the ensuing drive, the Pirates eschewed their passing attack and handed the ball to Mathews. Working out of a no-huddle spread attack, the Pirates were able to spread out the Charger defense and get the powerful Mathews to the second level of defenders.
It only took the Pirates four plays to answer the Chargers as Mathews ran wild--ripping off a 44-yard run before punching in a 9-yard touchdown run.
The Chargers shot themselves in the foot on the next drive as a holding penalty forced them into a quick three-and-out. After a short punt, the Pirates were able to capitalize.
Cruz completed two passes to McCarthy and Alex Diaz and Mathews punched in his second touchdown to cap off a seven-play 31-yard drive that gave the Pirates a 14-7 first quarter lead.
After another Charger drive was bogged down, the Pirates took the ball 66 yards in 10 plays. Again Mathews gashed the Charger defense as he rushed for 40 yards on the drive and Cruz punctuated the drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Joe Follen. A missed extra point left the score at 20-7 with 6:36 left in the half.
The Chargers got the ball at their 25-yard-line and proceeded to march down the field. Quarterback Ricky Battipede hit Tyler Beigibing for a 24-yard pass and Kevin Krail added a 20-yard scamper to help the Chargers move the ball down to the Pirate 10-yard-line.
However, once again the Pirate defense stiffened and forced a fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard-line. Battipede's pass to Beigibing fell incomplete and the Pirates were able to take a 20-7 lead into the locker room.
The Pirates scored midway through the third quarter to take a commanding 26-7 lead and the Chargers were in major trouble.
Undaunted, the Chargers would fight back. Gemette and Ondi chipped away at the Pirate defense and Krail added a 28-yard run as the Chargers answered back with a nine-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a tough 7-yard touchdown run by Gemette.
Now trailing 26-14 heading into the fourth quarter, the Chargers needed a big defensive stop to get back into the game.
Unfortunately for them, it appeared as if the Pirates would be able to march right through them for another score. Mathews again ran wild and Cruz hit Mynhier for a big 27-yard gain as the Pirates moved down to the Charger 17-yard line.
Three runs by Mathews set up a decisive fourth-and-two from the Charger 8-yard-line and once again the Pirates gave the ball to their big running back. However, Leland linebacker R.J. Singer smashed Mathews and forced the turnover on downs.
Even though there was 9:20 left in the game, given the Chargers style of play and the success the Pirates were having running the ball, the Chargers were almost out of chances.
Again the Chargers leaned on Gemette, Ondi and Krail. Krail had an eight-yard reception and a 23-yard run on back-to-back plays on a drive they desperately needed to get back in the game.
However, on the next play Barrieau blew through the Charger line and sacked Battipede, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Jimmy Waters who returned it to the Charger 22-yard-line, essentially ending any hope for a Charger comeback.
The Chargers were led on the ground by Krail, who showed the Chargers that the running game will be in good hands next season as he had seven carries for 83 yards.
Fittingly, the departing senior tandem of Ondi and Gemette both found the end zone as Ondi had 17 carries for 62 yards and Gemette had 14 carries for 40 yards.
Despite losing, the Chargers had a great season.
"I told the kids there's no reason to hang their heads, they had a great season, nobody thought they would make it this far," said Tenner. "My hat's off to each and every kid in that locker room; they played their butts off. They're a great group of kids."
