Outnumbered Mustangs prove no match for St. Helena

St. Vincent High school’s season-opening football game quickly went from a game to a battle for survival for the over-matched Mustangs.

Playing on their home turf at Yarbrough Field on a hot Saturday afternoon, the Mustangs fell behind by six touchdowns through three quarters and were beaten by St. Helena’s powerhouse Saints, 55-6.

By the end, the Mustangs were struggling to keep 11 healthy bodies on the field. St. Vincent started the game with just 16 able-bodied players, lost four to injury and finished with just one reserve.

“I’ve never been in a predicament like that,” said St. Vincent coach Gary Galloway, who has been in the coaching business for 39 years. “St. Helena is a very good football team, but we hung in there and played with a lot of heart.”

The game was never really contested after St. Helena built a 17-0 first-quarter lead. Running for control and passing for effect, St. Helena rushed a bevy of backs 32 times for 384 yards, led by Niko Lopez, who ran nine times from 96 yards. When needed, or on some occasions when they just wanted to, the Saints received accurate passing from quarterback Dylan Martin.

St. Vincent got a strong effort from quarterback Dominic Pedersen, who remained optimistic through the long afternoon despite a swirling st. Helena pass rush and occasional drops by his receivers. He completed 14 of 29 passes for 178 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

The touchdown went to Nick Vollert, who is coming back from an injury-plagued junior season and, now fully healthy, was able to display his true abilities against a quality opponent. He had five receptions for 101 yards.

The St. Vincent ground game was almost non-existent and disappeared entirely when veteran running back Manny Reyes was knocked groggy in the first quarter. For the game, the Mustangs rushed for just 19 yards on only eight carries.

Even as the Saints piled up the rushing yards, St. Vincent had some gritty efforts on defense. Junior Michael Davis started the game at free safety, but when the injuries came, he moved to linebacker and was credited with 11 solo tackles and 13 total. It was the most solo tackles in a game since Michael Carroll made 11 against Upper Lake in 2012.

For the record, the St. Helena scores came in the first quarter on an 11-yard run by Jahavier Otero; an 18-yard field goal by Lopez and a 22-yard run by Alfio Basile; in the second quarter on a 6-yard run by Lopez, a 1-yard run by Otero, a 38-yard field goal by Lopez; in the third quarter on a 3-yard run by Baslie and a 55-yard run by Austin Cia; in the fourth on a 96-yard kickoff return by Basile.

St. Vincent’s score came against what was primarily the first-team St. Helena defense and featured the Pedersen-to-Vollert passing combination at its best.

Starting at their own 38-yard line, the Mustangs flew 62 yards in just three completed passes. All were from Pedersen to Vollert. The first covered 13 yards, the second 30 and the third, for the score, 24 yards.

It was an impressive lightning drive and something to remember from a generally forgettable Saturday afternoon for the Mustangs.