Titans push aside Vikings
| Friday, Oct 09 2009 11:47 PM
Last Updated Friday, Oct 09 2009 11:47 PM
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Michael Fagans / The Californian Frontier's Deshaunte Webber brings the ball upfield against West's Chris Vasquez and Fred Wilson during their game at West on Friday night in Bakersfield.
Michael Fagans / The Californian Frontier's Deshaunte Webber tries to escape the tackle of West's Chris Vasquez during the first half of their game at West on Friday night in Bakersfield.
Michael Fagans / The Californian West's Franklin Simmons is wrapped up by a Frontier defender on a critical 4th down attempt in Titan territory during the first half of their game at West on Friday night in Bakersfield.
Michael Fagans / The Californian West's Michael Dunn is wrapped up after a reception by Frontier's Will Harvey, left, and BJ Nard during the first half of their game at West on Friday night in Bakersfield.
Frontier junior running back DeShaunte Webber has never in his life scored four touchdowns in one game. The Titans have never before won five games.
So you could say this has been a pretty special season at Frontier. And oh yeah -- it's only Week 5.
The visiting Titans ran roughshod over West, 42-7 on Friday night, further confirming what they've been saying about themselves all along: This team, in just its third varsity season, is for real.
"This definitely showed what we're all about," said Webber, who finished with 112 yards and four touchdowns. "We thought this was a team that could actually beat us, and we came out here, played hard and won the game."
This was, by most accounts, the toughest test of the year for the Titans (5-0, 2-0 SWYL), and they'll want to put their grade on the refrigerator.
"We're very proud," said Frontier coach Rich Cornford, who was coaching his first game back at West after coaching the Vikings to the 2005 Central Section championship in seven years. "We knew West was the best team we've played, so we challenged (our players). And I thought we pretty much controlled the game."
It started early, when Jacob Adelman returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown only to have the play called back because of an illegal block (Frontier had 15 penalties for 120 yards, the one black eye on an otherwise exquisite performance). Undeterred, Webber and quarterback Josh Legorreta moved the Titans down for an opening touchdown anyway, the score coming on Legorreta's 15-yard pass to Adelman on third down.
Legorreta finished with 114 yards on 7-of-15 passing.
Meanwhile, West stalled on offense. The Vikings had three turnovers and had just 30 rushing yards. Quarterback Franklin Simmons did have 126 passing yards and a rushing touchdown, but he was under pressure all night.
"I think our (defensive) line controlled the line of scrimmage better," Cornford said. "Our hats go off to Ted Agu and Aaron Gallegos, our defensive ends, and then Blake Bernard and Josh Davis, our d-tackles. They allowed our linebackers to roam and make tackles."
The Titans dominated West (2-3, 1-1) in all three phases of the game. One play after Webber's 24-yard TD run made it 21-0 in the second quarter, Adelman scooped up an errant West lateral pass and returned it 23 yards for another TD.
Later, with the score 28-7 in the fourth quarter, USC punting commit Matt Darr blocked showed he has other talents, blocking a West punt and falling on it at the West 5-yard line. Webber's third touchdown followed shortly.
"Our line blocked the way it was supposed to, our special teams did their job, and our defense stopped the offense," Webber said. "It was just shut-down, all game."
The Vikings scored on Simmons' 5-yard run early in the fourth quarter, but any chance at a comeback stalled on their next drive, when three penalties and two sacks pushed them into a fourth-and-50 situation.
"They're a good football team," West coach Chad Grider said. "We came out after the half and played better defensively, but they're a tough football team. They've got talent and they're well-coached."
With a dream regular season now halfway complete, Cornford and his Titans will focus on accomplishing new firsts -- maybe even some in the Central Section Division II playoffs.
"We can go to Valley," Webber said. "We've just got to keep doing what we're doing."
