Petaluma High School’s football world turned topsy-turvy Friday night in American Canyon.
In most games, the offense is used to score and the defense to prevent scoring.
In the first Vine Valley Athletic League game for both teams, the Petaluma defense shined, while the offense not only floundered but helped in several scores for the Wolves in a 43-16 Trojan defeat.
The loss was the second for Petaluma against three wins, while the victory was the first of the season for the Wolves after four straight non-league defeats against strong opponents.
“Our defense played a great game, but offensive mistakes killed us,” said Petaluma coach Rick Krist.
Counted among those mistakes were a fumble and two pass interceptions, both returned for touchdowns, along with a blocked punt that resulted in an American Canyon touchdown.
Wolves speed did provide a pair of offensive big plays, including a 29-yard pass reception for a touchdown by Antonio Perez on a ball thrown by quarterback Vance Eschenburg.
Late in the game, Kurt Della zipped for a 55-yard touchdown run through the heart of the Petaluma defense.
Pretty much everything else for American Canyon was in some manner aided by the Trojan offense.
Led by Nick Ayers, Jacob Havard, Jack Hartman and Connor Pedersen, the Petaluma defense held a speed-loaded American Canyon offense to 196 yards (141 rushing).
Havard recovered two American Canyon fumbles.
Petaluma, playing without all-league speed back Garrett Freitas, out with a leg injury, managed just 141 total yards and was pretty much confined to running the ball between the tackles with Colton Prieto and Derrick Pomi.
What looked to be a competitive game early changed swiftly and dramatically within a 3-minute period in the second quarter.
A fumble recovery allowed American Canyon to score on a 5-yard run by Kaav Gaviola as time was disappearing in the first period.
Havard’s fumble recovery at the American Canyon 16-yard line helped Petaluma get even with about 5 minutes remaining in the half.
A burrowing block by center Daniel Decarli and a strong second effort by quarterback Cole Powers earned six points for the Trojans from the 2-yard line, and Dax Hogya’s conversion added a game-tying seventh.
Then the hurricane hit the Trojans.
The Wolves immediately marched right down the field, going 65 yards in six plays, with Perez grabbing the pass from Eschenburg for the touchdown.
Just over a minute later, Perez blocked a punt, scooped it up and raced 30 yards for another score. Adding pain to punishment, Fred Tippins Jr. snatched a Petaluma pass and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown.
Three touchdowns resulted in a span of 2 minutes and 12 seconds, and the decision was rendered by halftime with American Canyon in front 29-7.
Petaluma never really got untracked in the second half with its first two possessions resulting in four-and-out series.
Petaluma’s defense continued to play well throughout the second half, although American Canyon did tack on two more touchdowns, one on a pass interception return by Kalill Bray and the other on Della’s 56-yard breakaway.
Helped by a series of American Canyon roughing-the-passer penalties, the Trojans moved close enough for field goals of 31, 34 and 37 yards by Hogya.
The boots made for an impressive game for the senior kicker, but did little to change the outcome.
Petaluma also had trouble in the junior varsity game, losing to the American Canyon JVs, 52-12.
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