No. 6 Rams start fast, never let up in rout
| Friday, Nov 20 2009 11:38 PM
Last Updated Friday, Nov 20 2009 11:38 PM
Garces used a familiar formula in its playoff opener against Reedley:
Score early and often, build a big lead and clear the bench in the second half.
The No. 6 Rams scored 40 points for the seventh time this season, dominating Friday's Central Section Division III opener from the opening kickoff en route to a 47-23 victory.
"We knew we had to start fast," Garces coach David Fanucchi said. "I still don't think we played out best football, but Reedley came to play ... we settled down and kept playing better and better."
Garces (7-4) earns the right to play at No. 3 Frontier (9-1) at 7 p.m. Friday.
"We've just got to continue to build on the good things and fix the mistakes that we've made," Fanucchi said. "We still haven't played that perfect game yet and we're going to need that this week."
The Rams' running game set the pace as it has all season, grounding out 305 yards with nine different rushers.
Junior tailback Jalen Sykes led the way, showcasing his explosiveness in the second half, breaking two tackles and hurdling another defender on his way to the end zone for a 57-yard run off a reverse.
The scoring burst gave Garces a 26-0 lead just three minutes into the second half. Sykes finished with a game-high 147 yards on 11 carries.
Grant Campbell also ran for two scores and reserve fullback Emmanuel Machado capped the Rams' scoring with a 45-yard touchdown for a 47-7 lead with 8:18 left in the game.
Sophomore quarterback Philip Anspach completed only five passes, but three of them went for touchdowns to senior Matt Sumlin.
The two connected on a 15-yard TD at the end of the first quarter, hooked up from 16 yards out late in the second quarter and then again early in the third quarter from 28 yards to build the lead to 40-7. The three TD receptions in one game tied a school record.
"Anspach passed it tome, the line blocked and I just caught the ball," Sumlin said. "I was waiting for my time to come. It came and my line did their job and it worked out."
The Rams' defense thoroughly frustrated the Pirates (7-4) all night, bottling up tailback Richard Casteel -- the team's starting quarterback until injuring his right hand last week.
Casteel's replacement, junior William Szpor was 12-for-21 passing for 177 yards and three touchdowns, but was intercepted five times, including one just before the half by Nick Sakowski.
