Casa Grande High School’s football Gauchos swiped away an obstacle between them and a stretch drive that will make or break their season Monday night.
Playing on their home field, the Gauchos rolled over Sonoma Valley’s Dragons, 35-0, to keep alive their still flickering hopes of a North Coast Section playoff spot.
Casa is now 3-4 for the season and 2-1 in Vine Valley Athletic League play. Still ahead are key games against Napa on Friday night, American Canyon on Oct. 25 and rival Petaluma on Nov. 2.
The loss culminated a frustrating extended week for Sonoma during what has been a 1-7 season. The school was closed for two days last week because of the deliberate power shutdown that affected many Sonoma County communities. The result was two lost days of practice for the Dragons and postponement if the game from Friday until Monday night.
Still ahead for the Dragons are a game at Petaluma on Friday night and a final home game against league-unbeaten Vintage on Oct. 25.
Although Sonoma showed periods of strong opposition to the well-rested Gauchos, who were coming off a bye week, the Dragons could neither stop the Gauchos’ balanced offense, nor maintain drives to the point of getting into the Casa Grande end zone. The winner-loser question was quickly answered with Casa Grande scoring the first three times its offense was allowed to possess the football. Rushing mainstay Matt Herrera scored from the 3-yard line two minutes into the game and Julian Gaona ran in from 10 yards out a few minutes later with Matteo Milani converting on one of the two conversion kick tries for a 13-0 Casa lead.
The second Casa touchdown was set up by Casa sophomore linebacker Ryan Kasper, who sacked Sonoma Valley quarterback Jake Baker and stripped the ball away at midfield.
On the first play of the second period, Casa Grande quarterback Miguel Robertson tossed 7 yards to Rashad Nixon for a third Gaucho touchdown.
The game’s most spectacular play came about six minutes before halftime when Casa wide receiver Dominic McHale streaked by the Sonoma defense and was hit in perfect stride by Robertson on a picture-perfect pass play that covered 89 yards for a touchdown.
A 35-yard Robertson to Nixon completion completed the scoring for the half and the game three minutes prior to the halftime intermission.
With the clock in continuous motion, Sonoma put together an impressive drive to start the second half, taking up all but one minute of the third period on a 42-yard march.
The drive was carried almost entirely by Baker and 200-pound junior Adrian Alverez working behind a gritty offensive line, and was manufactured by 4- and 5-yard gains.
The march ended 8-yards short of the Casa goal on a fourth-down incomplete pass.
Casa Grande, behind the direction and passing of second-line quarterback Dominic Feliciano, drove to the Sonoma 2-yard line as time was expiring before the quarterback took a knee as time expired.
Robertson had a big numbers game for the Gauchos, completing 6 of 7 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns. Feliciano, in his short tenure, was 4 of 6 for 40 yards. Herrera, in just eight rushes, gained 60 yards.
Statistics were not available for Sonoma.
The game was contentious with players spilling onto the field during a brief second-quarter confrontation.
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