Garces puts on show vs. Highland
| Saturday, Oct 10 2009 12:04 AM
Last Updated Saturday, Oct 10 2009 12:04 AM
If all the fanfare of homecoming floats and a halftime fireworks show weren't enough, the Garces football team put on a spectacular display of its own Friday night at Sam Tobias Field.
The Rams used a balanced attack to score touchdowns on five of its first six possessions en route to a 36-7 lead late in the first half before cruising to a 62-21 win over Highland in Southeast Yosemite League action.
It was the second straight blowout victory for Garces (3-2, 2-0 SEYL), which beat Golden Valley 49-0 last week.
"I really like this progression we've been on the last couple of weeks," Garces coach David Fanucchi said. "We keep getting better and better. It's a situation where we have to, because we're really heading into the meat of our schedule. Hopefully we can maintain this focus and the way we're playing."
The trio of Grant Campbell, Jalen Sykes and Zack Puente combined to run for 154 yards and five touchdowns, and Blake Campbell passed for 162 yards in a first half that was thoroughly dominated by the Rams.
Garces out-gained Highland 101 to negative-17 in the first 13 minutes of the game.
"I think the tone got set very early by our defense," Fanucchi said. "They came out and played very, very well and our offense got going."
Highland (2-4, 0-2) helped the Rams' cause by being flagged 15 times for 126 yards.
"We just self-destruct," Highland coach Tim Hartnett said. "It's penalty here, penalty there. Every time we get something going, we negate it with a penalty."
Already up 36-14, Garces added three more touchdowns in the third quarter, including a 90-yard fumble return by Marshall Thomas, to extend its lead to 55-14.
After Grant Campbell's second touchdown of the game, Highland answered with an 85-yard scoring drive that was capped off by a Matt Prasser 16-yard touchdown scamper with 13 seconds remaining in the first half.
But that would be as close as Highland would get.
Puente capped off the game's opening possession with a spectacular 33-yard touchdown run.
Early in the second quarter Sykes bolted straight through the middle of the Scots defense untouched 49 yards to put Rams ahead 20-0.
He finished with 110 yards on 11 carries.
