Vikings 'D' scores twice
| Saturday, Oct 24 2009 12:21 AM
Last Updated Saturday, Oct 24 2009 12:21 AM
With Centennial knocking on the door, the West High defense needed to make a big play.
Junior Fred Wilson sliced through the Golden Hawks' offensive line Friday and jarred the ball loose from tailback Myron Moore. West linebacker Derek Mitchell saw the ball and "a lot of green."
"It was in slow motion," Mitchell said. "I couldn't believe the ball was right down in front of me."
The senior scooped it up, raced down the Centennial sideline, then picked up key blocks from Wilson and Taiyon Jackson for West's first touchdown of the game and Mitchell's first varsity touchdown.
Mitchell's score was the first of two fumbles returned for Viking touchdowns as West edged Centennial 16-14 in a Southwest Yosemite League matchup at West High.
"I couldn't have done it without those blocks," Mitchell said.
Jackson returned another Centennial fumble 19 yards to put the Vikings ahead 16-7 with 2:41 left in the fourth quarter.
Needing two scores in less than three minutes, Golden Hawks quarterback Mark Ritchie found Matt Castellano wide open for a 49-yard touchdown pass with 1:34 left, but West (4-3, 3-1 SWYL) thwarted the ensuing onside-kick attempt when Michael Dunn recovered the ball.
"The (defensive) kids believed in the system and in themselves." West coach Chad Grider said.
After a nearly whole scoreless half, Moore needed just 10 seconds to give the Golden Hawks (4-3, 1-2) a 7-0 lead. Moore bounced off a defender and broke free for a 59-yard touchdown run in the waning seconds of the half. The senior rushed for 145 of his game-high 195 yards in the first half .
