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Rancho Alamitos senior wide receiver Johnny Zodiacal returns a punt for the Vaqueros as Godinez defensive end Alejandro Chavez pursues during the first quarter Friday night. (PHOTOS: Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone).
Rancho Alamitos High School’s football team celebrated its fourth consecutive win to start the season defeating Godinez 37-3 on homecoming Friday night at Bolsa Grande.
The Vaqueros (4-0) jumped out to a 13-0 lead after one quarter and were in control leading 30-3 at halftime against Godinez (2-3).
“I thought we played solid,” said Rancho Alamitos Coach Mike Enright. “I’m not disappointed in the second half, but we need to finish a little better on a couple of drives. We had a couple more touchdowns and we left points off the board but overall I thought we played well.”
To see the slide show, click on the first photo:
Senior Cruz Gonzalez led the way for the Vaqueros scoring two TDs, including a 47-yard run in the first quarter. He wound up rushing for 121 yards on 17 carries.
“I’m happy to be 4-0,” said Cruz, who rushed for 250 yards in the team’s opener. “I’m glad my team came out hitting and I’m happy with the win we got tonight. The team is just working hard every week coming to practice, coming ready and getting the work done.”
Cruz was happy about the first TD run.
“I saw the gap and I just hit it and thank you to the linemen,” he said.
Vaquero quarterback Vincent Gentile was also solid, passing for 179 yards and three TD passes. Rancho Alamitos scored on its second drive when Gentile connected with Andrew Gonzalez on a 9-yard TD.
After Cruz Gonzalez first TD run, Gentile hooked up with Davian Sanchez on a 10-yard TD to put the Vaqueros ahead 20-0. Cruz Gonzalez then scored from 12 yards out to make it 27-0.
Century got on the scoreboard when Ethan Barrera kicked a 20-yard field goal. However, Vaquero sophomore Jacob Molina kicked a 24-yard field goal as time expired to put the Vaqueros ahead 30-3 at halftime.
Rancho Alamitos’ final score came on a a 20-yard TD pass from Gentile to Johnny Zodiacal in the fourth quarter.
The Vaqueros were also tough defensively. Godinez quarterback Damien Arreola passed for 27 yards and rushed for 17 yards. Henry Vegas was the leading rusher for the Grizzlies with 32 yards on 13 carries.
“First quarter especially we just couldn’t move the ball on offense,” said Godinez Coach Aron Kaye. “Some of it was self-inflicted and we kept giving them a short field and they’re too good offensively, if you give them the ball at the 30, they’re going to score. The two long drives they had they had nothing to show for it.
“The four short ones they had, they scored four times. We just gave them too many short fields in the first half. It’s something we can learn from and get better. Ultimately, we’re getting ready for league. I think there’s a lot here we can take from it. We caused a couple turnovers, a couple fell in our hands, we did some decent things.
“We’re all trying to get better. I told the kids I thought we played hard, giving them the short field was really the game.”
Zodiacal recorded an interception for Rancho Alamitos and Matteo Picou had an interception for Godinez.
“We’re 4-0, you want to win every one of them,” said Enright, the Rancho Alamitos coach. “That’s your goal, so far we’ve done that, now we have a tough Corona team next week and they took it to us last year.”
—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
