Paloma outscored in second half in 42-21 loss to King
Paloma Valley quarterback Brady Nelson looks downfield on a pass play Friday night. (Photo by Rick Rowell) By Paige Mendez, Correspond...
By Paige Mendez, Correspondent
In a game riddled with penalties and turnovers, the Paloma Valley Wildcats fell 42-21 to the ML King Wolves Friday night.
The loss, which is the first of the season for Paloma Valley, included three touchdowns scored off special teams blunders and one from a pick-six late in the second half.
The Wildcats were the first on the board with the only touchdown in the first quarter coming from a carry across the end zone by Jacob Hornbeak. Despite that, the host Wolves’ offense and special teams proved more effective on the night as a whole.
King’s offense included a first-half kickoff return of 80 yards by Elijah Simley-Flores, then more particularly in the second half, when the same player scored a 50-yard touchdown just over a minute into the third quarter.
The Wildcats answered that touchdown with their last successful drive of the night. Quarterback Brady Nelson threw for 32 yards and rushed for 11 yards into the end zone to bring his team within a touchdown at 28-21.
Paloma’s defense also contributed at that point with Hornbeak making a quarterback sack to force a punt. He said it was a moment he thought could have helped his team change the game around.
“I think it brought everyone’s spirits up, turned it around a little bit,” Hornbeak said. “But it only matters if everyone else can put in the work so we can take the win home.”
Head coach Zach Dilley said Hornbeak, who contributed over 20 yards in tackles for loss, was one highlight to this “humbling night.”
“We kind of got a little lackadaisical the last couple weeks in practice and we’ve got to lock it in and focus,” Dilley said. “We’ve got to make sure we stay humble and take advantage of opportunities.”
A few of those missed opportunities Friday night included an interception in the fourth quarter by Nathan Torres that the Wildcats could not convert into a touchdown; three consecutive fourth-down stops in the fourth quarter from Hornbeak and the defense; and a blocked field goal by Paloma special teams that was also not converted.
Aside from those mistakes, there were more than 23 penalties called on the night and Dilley said he thinks that’s a matter of officiating mistakes that he feels is too familiar.
“I don’t know what NFHS does with the refs, but they don’t teach them that well,” said Dilley. “I’m just going to say it because I’m tired of seeing it. But I just try to tell [my team] to move on, you’ve got to see what it is and learn from it and move on.”
On that note of moving forward, Dilley and Hornbeak both think their team will take what they learned this week to face their in-town rival Heritage next week in the Menifee Bowl.
“We’ll be back next week ready to work and ready to win,” said Hornbeak.
“They didn’t give up tonight,” Dilley said. “They’re going to come back ready to work and they’re going to be ready to play hard and they are not going to give up.”
Wildcats linebacker Jacob Hornbeak separates Keon Gantt from his helmet with a hard hit. (Photo by Rick Rowell)
Noah Howard outruns a leaping King defender into the end zone for a first-half touchdown. (Photo by Rick Rowell)
Wildcats defender Tristan Keplinger holds onto King quarterback Keon Gantt. (Photo by Rick Rowell)
