Gauchos run over Miramonte, 48-6

Casa Grande High School’s offensive front knocked gaping holes in the Miramonte defense and a storm of Gaucho offensive backs poured through the openings, deluging the Matadors with an array of touchdown makers on the way to a 48-6 victory in the first round of the North Coast Section Division 2 playoffs.

Playing on their home turf, Casa spotted Miramonte the game’s first touchdown, and then swarmed all over the Matador’s pass-preferring offense the rest of the way, turning the game into a no-contest running clock in the fourth quarter.

Not only did the win advance the Gauchos into a quarterfinal game against Maria Carrillo next Saturday night at Maria Carrillo, but it also avenged a 41-28 loss to Miramonte in the NCS semifinals last season.

“We remembered last year,” said Brendan Jackson, one of the big (6-foot, 3-inches, 280 pounds) reasons for the Casa Grande front-line dominance. “We wanted to give it everything we had and get back to playing Gaucho football.”

That meant running the ball right down the gullet of the Matadors to the tune of 353 yards rushing behind the blocking of Jackson and his front line mates - Greg Poterache, Pete Parrick, Julian Lopez and Tanner Shimek. The holes opened the way for 93 yards from Spencer Torkelson, 92 from Andrew Floerke and 65 from Max Cerini. Before it was all over, 10 different Gauchos had carried the football and five had scored touchdowns.

“We got back to doing what we do,” explained Casa Grande coach Trent Herzog. “Both the offensive and defensive lines did a great job. The guys gave a great effort. I’m proud of them.”

Not that everything was bright on a chilly fall night for the Gauchos, who were torched by three consecutive pass completions by Miramonte quarterback Sutter Lindberg in the Matadors’ first offensive possession. The senior completed passes of 10 and 14 yards in his first two throws, and then went over the top to a wide-open Sam Tuttle for a 40-yard touchdown before the game was two minutes old.

Lindberg spent the rest of the game running for his figurative life. Although he was 11 for 21 for 128 yards in the game, three of his completions and 64 of the yards came in the first drive. The Gauchos also caught him for eight sacks and had him scrambling most of the evening.

“We started in a zone, but after that first touchdown we went back to man coverage,” Herzog noted.

Meanwhile, after going three and out in its first ball ownership, the Gauchos got their offensive life together in a big way.

A fumble recovery by Jackson gave Casa Grande possession just inside Miramonte territory, and the Gauchos began driving. A personal foul penalty proved only a minor detriment as senior Kevin Donohoe ripped off a 20 yard run and JJ Anderson completed the Gauchos’ only pass in the drive, a nine-yard connection with Joey Markam.

On a fourth-and-two play, Longaker bulled for nine yards and two plays later repeated the effort with a six-yard touchdown run. Matt Abramo followed with the first of his six PAT kicks to give Casa Grande a slim 7-6 lead, an advantage that grew to a hefty 42 points by game’s end.

By the end of the first quarter, the game had settled into a familiar pattern, with the Casa offense moving methodically goalward and the defense pretty much smothering the Miramonte offensive efforts.

At the outset of the second quarter, Anderson put a perfect pass over the shoulder of a streaking Jaleel Lawson for a 36-yard connection that set Longaker up for his second touchdown - a two-yard plunge.

Before the half, Cerini got into the scoring act with a six-yard run that followed a nine-yard sprint on a fake double reverse and a 20-yard burst off left tackle.

Things didn’t change much through the third quarter, with Floerke scoring on a 20-yard run and, after an interception by Longaker, Nick Jensen getting in on the fun with a three-yard TD effort. Anderson and Kaleo Garrigan then combined for an 11-yard touchdown.

After Torkelson scampered in from the 17-yard line on the first play of the fourth period, Casa Grande literally closed out the running clock. A fumble recovery by Ryan Slack gave Casa Grande the ball on its 35-yard line with 9:39 left, and Casa held it for the rest of the game.

A late-game highlight was a perfect PAT kick by senior back-up Anson Morales.

Defensively, help came from just about all hands. Longaker led with six tackles with Jensen recording five, but 18 different Gauchos were credited with tackles. Torkelson, Cerini, Jensen, Floerke, Longaker, Poteracke and Brent Eger each had a sack, with Jensen credited with two.