ARBUCKLE, CA (MPG) – When a team goes three weeks without playing an actual game, there is always a fear that despite the rest, it will also have to overcome the rust that has accumulated.
Such was the case last Friday night at Gregg LeMaster Field, when despite struggling early to find an offensive rhythm, the well-rested Pierce defense stifled visiting Paradise for the majority of the game and propelled the Bears to a 30-7 victory in a Sacramento Valley League contest.
Defensively Pierce was dominant, preventing the Bobcats from getting a first down until the final minute of the third quarter and the game was well in hand, something that head coach Anthony Tapia was pleased to see.
“They got after it,” Tapia said about his defense. “With so much time off we were a little nervous, especially since Paradise got their quarterback back. But we did what we had to do and suffocated them. It was really nice to see.”
Leading the charge was senior Humberto Esqueda, who in his last regular season home game, seemingly spent as much time in the Bobcat backfield as the Paradise players did.
Esqueda made nine tackles, four for losses, caused a fumble and recorded a sack, which drew praise from Tapia who said, “ He has worked so hard and hasn’t missed a day. I am so happy to see him have a great game. He’s playing at a high level and we are going to need him to keep doing that if we are going to make a run.”
However, Esqueda got plenty of help from his teammates as the Bears continually forced negative plays including five takeaways on a night where they held the Bobcats to negative yards until the fourth quarter.
Highlighting the defensive barrage were fumble recoveries by Gavin Guynn and Isaac Tirado, along with interceptions by Austin Jorge, Nate McIntosh and Damian Navarro.
Lineman Quin Stephens also had a good night, finishing with seven tackles and a sack.
Meanwhile on offense, although Pierce managed only a Francisco Ruiz field goal in the first quarter, it proceeded to break the game open in the second period as it scored three times in less than five minutes.
Nathan Gomez got things rolling and extended the Bears advantage to 10-0 when he powered into the end zone from a yard out.
Then a minute later, after forcing Paradise to punt for the fourth time in the first half, Pierce took all of seven seconds to add on when quarterback Drew Burnum hit a wide-open Guynn in stride for a 34-yard touchdown.
But there was more to come from the Bears who subsequently capitalized following a Bobcat turnover, after Burnum tossed a short pass to McIntosh who did the rest, cutting back across the field to score from 16 yards away to make the score 24-0 at intermission.
Pierce put its final points on the board in the third quarter using a trick play in which Jorge faked the punt and instead connected with Devin Garcia for a 42-yard touchdown, which was Garcia’s first of this season.
Paradise did finally crack the Bear defense with a minute remaining in the game, but it was too little too late and the Bears ultimately ran out the clock in victory formation.
Offensively, Burnum completed five passes for 76 yards and ran six times for 43 yards, McIntosh garnered 37 yards on eight carries in addition to his touchdown reception, while Gomez rushed seven times for 25 yards and scored as well.
This week Pierce (7-1, 4-0) turns its attention to a much-improved Durham squad that has proven to be the Bears’ nemesis during Tapia’s tenure as a coach.
Playing tonight in Durham, the Bears need a victory to keep pace in the SVL with an unbeaten Winters squad that they will face in their final regular season game.