The Rams were in a tie for second place in the division and needed a win to keep their championship hopes alive. Willow Glen (5-3, 3-1) combined a balanced offensive and defensive attack in putting together a 38-19 victory over Yerba Buena (1-6-1, 1-3-1).

The defense set the tone of the game for the Rams as they came ready to play.

"Our defense came out with some excitement and emotion today," said coach Andy Penwarden. "They played really well and made big plays when we needed them."

The big plays came all day long as the defense forced six fumbles, taking five of them away. They held tough on three different fourth down attempts, taking the ball over on downs. Defensive back Alex Green grabbed an interception and returned it 57 yards for a touchdown, giving the Rams a 21-7 lead at the time.

It looked like it was going to be a wild and crazy afternoon from the start. Willow Glen kicked off and promptly knocked the ball loose with Ricardo Munoz falling on it at the Yerba Buena 30-yard line. The Rams could not capitalize on the break and were forced to punt after three quick plays.

The Rams defense had one of its few miscues of the day and allowed Yerba Buena to strike quickly on the first play from scrimmage with a 79-yard touchdown run, giving the Warriors a quick 7-0 lead.

"We misaligned on that first touchdown," said Penwarden. "We made a mistake and it usually hurts you when you do."

The advantage was short-lived, though, as J.C. Drummer took the ensuing kick-off and rambled up the field for an 87-yard touchdown bringing the Rams even at 7-7.

The Willow Glen defense went to work and shut down the Warriors. The offense began to click as the Rams put together a 64-yard scoring drive with a balanced attack with the running of Lalo Garces and the passing of Chris Hobbs. Garces provided hard-nosed running up the middle. Hobbs hit tight end Justin Ble with a 41-yard bullet on a key third down to keep the drive alive. He finished it with a 19-yard touchdown toss to Green, putting the Rams ahead to stay.

The remainder of the first half was a defensive battle with a rash of fumbles and miscues by both teams with Nick Barreto recovering one of the Yerba Buena fumbles. Willow Glen was unable take advantage until lighting struck twice late in the quarter for the Rams.

After a Warrior punt, Willow Glen went 61 yards in only three plays for a score. Hobbs hit Green for 28 yards to open the drive and then he fired a 31-yard strike across the middle to Justin Jeffries, who sprinted in for the touchdown. On the day, Hobbs completed 4 of 9 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns.

Willow Glen got the ball back right away when Yerba Buena fumbled and Matthew Arevalo fell on it at the Yerba Buena 3-yard line. It took only one play for Garces to blast up the middle for the touchdown. Willow Glen went for the 2-point conversion and Garces punched that one in as well, putting the Rams up 35-7 with 3:49 to go in the half. Garces led the Rams on the ground, grinding out 38 yards on 14 carries.

The second half developed into a battle of the defenses, as both played tough and did not allow either offense to get warmed up and move the ball with any consistency. The Rams did the trick with hard hits causing a couple of fumbles that kept the Warriors off balance. Arevalo grabbed his second of the game and Horacio Michel snagged the other.

Yerba Buena was able to score twice in the second half.

Willow Glen added a 25-yard field goal by Jon Gibilisco in the fourth quarter. Gibilisco was also good on four of five PAT kicks for the game.

Willow Glen kept the ball on the ground most of the second half, grinding out yardage and eating up the clock. Garces shared the load with Drummer, who carried 10 times for 15 yards, and Robert Oxsen.

"Yerba Buena only had 19 kids and they are a scrappy bunch who never gave up," said Penwarden. "They played stronger in the fourth quarter than they did in the first. They were impressive and well coached and deserve a lot of credit."

"I'm just happy for our kids," added Penwarden. "They performed well and it's nice to get a win at home."

The Rams travel to San Jose High Academy on Nov. 8, 1:30 p.m. San Jose has struggled much of the season but "they always play us tough on their home field," Penwarden said. The Rams need a win to stay in the hunt for the division title.