Leland came into the contest riding a four-game winning streak, and it was apparent from the opening kickoff that the Chargers were intent on preserving it. By the time the dust had settled, Leland (6-1) had pounded out a 49-6 victory over Willow Glen (4-3).

"We played a really good football team today," said Willow Glen coach Andy Penwarden. "They are well coached, disciplined, and have a lot of talent."

"Our kids showed a ton of heart when they gave up 35 points in the first quarter and did not quit, which they never do," he added. "I'm really proud of them."

Leland's Arthur King fielded the opening kickoff at his own 10-yard line and with some excellent broken field running took the ball 58 yards to the Willow Glen 32. On the second play from scrimmage, quarterback Joe Hurley hit Sean Connors on an 18-yard pass for a touchdown.

Leland's defense forced the Rams to go three and out, which would prove to be a sign of what was to come. The Charger defenders always seemed to be exactly where they needed to be and never really let the Rams offense get untracked all day long.

This time the Chargers worked their way down the field mostly on the hard-nosed running of Mike Day, who carried six times on the drive and blasted up the middle from the 1-yard line for the touchdown. increasing the Chargers lead to 14-0. There were about five minutes left in the first quarter and they would prove to be a nightmare for the Rams.

Taylor Hubbard recovered a Willow Glen fumbles at the Rams 19-yard line. Day rushed three straight times taking it in from the 1-yard line for his second touchdown.

On the first play after the kickoff, Kyle McDaniel intercepted a pass near midfield. Three plays later, Connors took the ball from Day on a reverse and zig-zagged his way 14 yards into the endzone.

The Rams were forced to punt again and it only took the Chargers two plays to put their fifth touchdown of the quarter on the board. Alex Bynum blasted it in from the 1-yard line with 31 seconds left in the quarter, upping Leland's lead to 35-0.

Leland would score once more before the half on a 20-yard toss from Hurley to McDaniel, stretching the Chargers advantage to 42-0 at halftime.

The second half did not have anywhere near the offensive fireworks displayed in the first quarter. It was a back-and-forth battle between two good football teams with one working to salvage their pride and the other seeking to finish a good day's work.

"In a game like this, you have to look for and find little personal victories, and I think our kids did that," said Penwarden.

Willow Glen came out with a lot of fire and enthusiasm and no hint of giving up. Lalo Garces took the opening kick-off and returned it 41 yards to midfield. One play later, Garces was done for the day when he left the field with a twisted ankle. Garces is the Rams leading rusher and finished the day with only 38 yards on 10 carries.

J.C. Drummer stepped in for Garces and was key in the Rams only touchdown drive of the game as he rushed five times and got a crucial first down to keep the drive alive. Drummer finished the game with nine carries for 28 yards.

Willow Glen broke the scoring ice when quarterback Chris Hobbs lofted a soft 19-yard scoring toss to the corner of the endzone where Justin Ble went high over the defender to make the grab. Hobbs threw for 68 yards, completing 7 of 16. Ble grabbed two for 22 yards and Alex Green caught three for 25 yards.

It looked like Willow Glen was back in business with another opportunity to score when Robert Oropeza got in the middle of a screen pass attempt and snagged an interception, returning it deep into Charger territory. However, the Rams were unable to cash in when three plays later Leland returned the favor as Charger Darren Gemoll grabbed an interception. This set up the final score of the day as Day scampered 37 yards on the next play for a touchdown.

"You have to give Willow Glen a lot of credit for fighting to the very end and not giving up," said Leland coach Kelly Edwards. "It's a testament to their character."

Willow Glen heads back into division competition this week when the Rams host Yerba Buena on Oct 31, 2:45 p.m. "They are a good, well-coached team that is scrappy and comes out fighting and never gives up," said Penwarden.

The Rams are sitting in second place in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League, only one game behind James Lick. "We still have a lot to play for and we need to win this week. Our kids know that and will come ready to play," Penwarden said.