Rams rumble
| Saturday, Oct 24 2009 12:20 AM
Last Updated Saturday, Oct 24 2009 12:20 AM
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Michael Fagans / The Californian Garces running back Jalen Sykes turns the ball up field against the Blade's defense during the first half of their game at East Bakersfield on Friday night in Bakersfield.
Michael Fagans / The Californian Garces running back Jalen Sykes turns the ball up field against the Blade's defense during the first half of their game at East Bakersfield on Friday night in Bakersfield.
Michael Fagans / The Californian East Bakersfield's Eric Salizar up-ends Garces running back Zack Puente during the first half of their game at the Baldes field on Friday night in Bakersfield.
Michael Fagans / The Californian East Bakersfield's Joe Pearson gets tackled by Garces defender Daniel Yi during the first hald of their game at East Bakersfield on Friday night in Bakersfield.
Michael Fagans / The Californian East Bakersfield's Akkeli Holley gets hit by Garces defender William Bewley as he jumps up to try and catch a high pass during the first half of their game at East Bakersfield on Friday night in Bakersfield.
Michael Fagans / The Californian East Bakersfield's Eric Salizar and Graces defender Jalen Sykes go head to head in the middle of the field during the first half of their game at East Bakersfield on Friday night in Bakersfield.
Jalen Sykes didn't touch the ball a lot Friday night, but when he did, the Garces running back made the most of it.
The Rams junior rushed for four scores, including three over 60 yards, returned a fumble 60 yards for a touchdown and set up another with a 40-yard punt return to lead Garces to a wild 67-41 Southeast Yosemite League victory at East.
The 67 points, scored in three quarters, was one point shy of the school's all-time mark scored in a 68-6 win over Arvin in 1949.
Garces (4-3, 3-1) finished with 479 yards rushing and scored on its first nine possessions.
Sykes finished with 266 yards rushing on nine carries. He scored on a 69-yard run in the first quarter, and then set up his team's third score with a 40-yard punt return late in the third quarter.
Sykes added a 77-yard TD run midway through the second quarter, followed that up with a 60-yard TD off a fumble recovery and then scored on 62 and 15-yard runs in the third quarter. The final TD run gave the Rams a 67-33 lead with 2:23 left in the third quarter.
East (3-4, 3-1) dug itself a hole early, failing on an onside kick attempt on the opening kickoff, and trailed by three touchdowns most of the night despite an impressive night by East quarterback Joe Pearson.
Pearson threw for 413 yards and four touchdowns on 26-of-50 passing. He also rushed for two touchdowns, but it wasn't nearly enough.
He threw two scoring passes to running back Eric Salizar, from 11 and five yards, and then capped the Blades scoring with a 7-yard scoring play to Ryan Salinas with 10:59 left in the game.
Salinas had seven catches for 158 yards, Salizar added seven catches for 90 yards and also rushed for 75 yards on 13 carries for East, which hasn't beaten Garces since 2004.
The Blades were whistled for 165 yards in penalties, including six for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Phillip Anspach had a solid debut at quarerback for the Rams. Playing in place of starter Blake Campbell, who broke his collarbone in last week's loss to BHS, Anspach threw three TD passes and finished with 83 yards on 4-of-7 passing.
