Santa Rosa falls short against Hamilton on Senior Night

Santa Rosa Academy quarterback Adam Pinard looks downfield for a wide receiver Saturday night.

Story and photos by Joe Quinn

Excitement ran high as the Santa Rosa Academy Rangers met the Hamilton High Bobcats Saturday under the lights for Senior Night on the Santa Rosa campus. Hamilton spoiled the Rangers’ celebration, however, scoring a 21-12 victory.

Given the first-quarter activity, it looked to be a slow but “crunch football” game. Neither team seemed to manage significant early gains and indeed, throughout the night, there were few to speak of, showing the strength of both teams’ defensive units. A hard open-field tackle by the Rangers’ Jeremiah Park seemed to symbolize the quarter, which ended scoreless.

Hamilton did break away in the second quarter, scoring on the second play after recovering a Ranger fumble on the Ranger 6-yard line. Hamilton quarterback Caleb Speir carried it in for the first score of the night. The conversion by Brady McDermott was good and the Bobcats led, 7-0.

They were not done yet. After a Santa Rosa punt, a beautifully executed pass over the middle caught Alex Lopez in full stride and he was off on a long gain for the Bobcats’ second TD. The conversion by McDermott was good. The kick not only cleared the goal posts, but the tree line behind the field and over the fence, into the street beyond. A rough estimate would put it at over 40 yards in the air.

Although the Rangers went into the locker room down 14-0 at halftime, they did not stay submissive and scored a TD in the third quarter. Daniel Gonzalez took it in over right tackle after the Rangers had moved to inside the 10-yard line, making it 14-6 and giving hope to the Santa Rosa home crowd. The visitors’ lead only expanded, however, as Hamilton scored again in the third quarter on four long and fast plays that seemed to put the game away with a 21-6 lead.

The fourth quarter reverted to the slow and hard action of the early game until the Bobcats fumbled the ball several yards forward from midfield on a hard tackle and the Rangers' Brody Worthington scooped it up and advanced it to the Bobcats 45. From there, Santa Rosa advanced quickly and on the fourth play from scrimmage, quarterback Adam Pinard lofted a bomb to Tyler Baxter in the back of the end zone, bringing the Rangers seemingly into range, 21-12.

The conversion failed. It was not to be for the Rangers, as the score was late in the game and it ended with no further opportunities.

Along the way there was some strong punting by Sydney Geske, perhaps the only female in the league in varsity football, and heads-up running and gains by freshman Daniel Marlow.

Next week Santa Rosa is away on Friday afternoon at Perris to play the California Military Institute.

The Santa Rosa Academy defense gang tackles a Hamilton ballcarrier during the first quarter.