From bad to worse for Casa against Analy

Things started badly for Casa Grande’s Gauchos in their season-opening football game at Analy Friday night - then they got worse.

Casa Grande went no where in its first three plays, shanked a punt and watched Analy march for a touchdown. It was more of the same or similar for the rest of the first half as Analy built a 40-0 mid-point lead and cruised to a 47-14 victory in a much hyped battle between the defending Sonoma County League champion Tigers and the defending North Bay League champion Gauchos.

Analy’s speed ruled over Casa Grande’s size on both sides of scrimmage.

The Tigers continully stunted through gaps in the big Casa Grande offense line, often reaching Gaucho ball carriers before they could even get to the scrimmage line and making passing life difficult for Casa quarterbacks Brent Eger and JJ Anderson.

By contrast, the Gaucho defense had no answer for the human comet that is Analy’s diminutive running back Ja’Narrick James. When James wasn’t running unmolested through Gaucho defenders, quarterback Will Smith was passing accurately to a multitude of ball-snaring receivers.

James carried just eight times for 152 yards and two touchdowns and had an 80-yard kickoff return called back by a penalty. Smith connected on 22 of 27 pases for 260 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for a score. Both played almost exclusively in the first half.

Analy scored a touchdown every time it had possession in the first half.

With time running down in the half, it looked like the Gauchos might finally end the Analy scoring string when a good punt by Matt Abramo pinned the Tigers back at their 4-yard line with just 1:46 left before intermission. But on first down from that point, James swept left and zoomed his way 96 yards for another Tiger tally. The senior gave the Gauchos’ no target as he slithered into the open then, once in the clear, hit turbo mode to run away from pursuit.

To the Gauchos’ credit, they got off the mat and counter-punched in the second half, outscoring the Tigers, playing without Smith and mostly without James, 14-7.

Junior linebacker Ryan Lowe revived Gaucho spirits early in the third quarter, when he picked up an Analy fumble and did some racing of his own, going 71 yards for the Gauchos’ first touchdown of the season.

Later in the period, Casa Grande put together a legitimate scoring drive, using the passing and running of Anderson to go 58 yards in just six plays. Anderson scored himself from the 1-yard line, squeezing into the end zone between Tanner Shimek and Peter Parrick.

Casa Grande coach Trent Herzog paid tribute to Analy, but saw hope for the Gauchos through the disappointment of the loss.

“Analy is a good football team,” he said. “They have great athletes all over the field. They many not lose a game.

“We’ll get better. We have the ability to be a good football team. We just have to keep working hard.

“I was proud of the way we played hard in the second half. We didn’t quit. We came out and kept working hard.”