Rams lose to Sierra without ground game

Published online on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009

Seventh-ranked Fresno City's best chance of beating No. 14 Sierra limped along the sideline on crutches Saturday at Ratcliffe Stadium.

The team's leading rusher, sophomore Antoin DeWalt, broke a thigh bone in the third quarter of the Rams' 47-44 loss to College of the Sequoias last week.

"I planted my foot and got hit from both sides," he said.

With no ground game to speak of, the Rams filled the cool afternoon air with footballs an uncharacteristic 54 times and it wasn't good enough.

Sierra pulled away in the second for a 31-14 victory behind a punishing ground game of its own and a defense that picked off four Rams passes -- the last one by Kevin Frank on the final play for a 97-yard touchdown return.

"It's frustrating. We had a really good week of practice and worked hard," Rams coach Tony Caviglia said, "but we didn't play well at the key times."

Fresno City (4-4) fell to 1-2 in the Valley Conference and out of playoff contention. Sierra (4-4) is 2-1 and remains in the hunt.

With DeWalt's 6.7-yards-per-carry gone, Fresno City rushed only 27 yards for 52 plays; 13 carries for zero or negative yards.

"Our scheme was to attack with five- to six-man pressure," Wolverines coach Jeff Tisdel said. "Our kids understood and made the plays."

Emmanuel Lewis, playing with a sore back, completed 14 of 35 passes for 217 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. He was replaced late in the third quarter by Morgan Hall, who had 147 yards on 12 of 21 passing with one interception.

Sierra countered with 422 total yards: Jeff Nelson was 17 of 31 passing for 178 yards and one touchdown; Deonte Williams ran 22 times for 135 yards and a score.

Down early, Lewis rallied the Rams to a 14-13 halftime lead with scoring passes of 15 yards to Roddrick Hall and a screen pass that Isiah Barton turned into a 79-yard touchdown.

But the second half was a disaster for Lewis and Fresno City. Sierra intercepted him twice, the second time on a tipped pass at the Wolverines 1 that Jermaine Fox grabbed and returned to the 15.

Sierra scored seven plays later for a 25-14 lead and Fresno City's last, good chance to cut into it ended when Frank blocked Humberto Del Rio's 27-yard field-goal try at the outset of the fourth quarter.

"Whenever we got inside the red zone, we didn't get any points," Caviglia said. "That's what we need to work on this week. We still have two games left and just want to finish strong and make a bowl."

*San Joaquin Delta 27, Sequoias 16: All the Giants needed was to win out to claim a first conference title in 11 years. Now they're in a four-way tie for first.

Sequoias' quarterback Chris Mayabb was picked off seven times -- believed to be a school record -- and the Giants suffered their first conference loss.

The Giants (5-3, 2-1) actually outgained the Mustangs 493 to 283 but committed eight turnovers. Even running back Brant Botill was intercepted on his one halfback pass.

No interception proved more costly than the fourth-quarter pick by Delta's Sam Maffi, who returned it 24 yards for a touchdown and stifled the Giants' comeback.

Mayabb did set a school record with 57 passes and tied a record with 30 completions. He threw for 403 yards.

*Reedley 17, West Hills 14: The Tigers (5-3, 2-1) won this aerial show against the Falcons (2-6, 0-3) in Coalinga.

Reedley's Jesse Lownsbury completed 15 of 29 passes for 156 yards.

West Hills' Tate Humphrey had 263 yards and one touchdown, but was intercepted three times.

The teams combined for only 133 yards rushing.

Reedley fell behind 6-0 but scored 17 unanswered points: Keith Bellamy's 1-yard run, Avery Horn's 17-yard dash and Curtis O'Neill's 44-yard field goal.