Rangers lose heartbreaker to Grace Brethren, 36-34

Santa Rosa linebacker Eli Aguilar grabs the jersey to stop the Grace Brethren quarterback. (Photo by Rick Rowell)

By Paige Mendez, Correspondent

Santa Rosa Academy suffered a heartbreaking loss in its homecoming football game Friday night to Grace Brethren, 36-34.

Both teams got on the board in the first quarter, with Santa Rosa trailing 7-6 due to a missed conversion play. Grace’s Noah Cooper caught a 25-yard touchdown pass and two-point conversion pass early in the second quarter to pad his team’s lead to 15-6.

Rangers head coach Perry Jones said his team’s emotions led to a slow start, contributing to the 30-12 Lancer lead going into the half.

“The first half was not characteristic of how we play,” said Jones. “It was just logistics that was unclear and a little bit of confusion and emotion, so we just had to clear it up.”

After that clarity at the break, Santa Rosa found new life.

“They battled it out in the second half and it’s pretty good to see -- a bunch of young guys out there fighting back and rising to the occasion,” Jones said.

Starting out with a defensive stop just inches from the goal line followed by a forced punt on the next Lancer possession, the Rangers found the momentum they needed to fight their uphill battle.

Jack Warren took the ball on first and 10 from the 15-yard line and ran it 61 yards, putting his team within 25 yards of a score, which they did two plays later. Quarterback Daniel Marlow ran the ball into the end zone to bring his team within 10 with the two-point conversion.

“It wasn’t my doing; I give that one to my line,” said Warren of his contribution to the offense. “I’m not the one doing that. It wouldn’t have happened without the blocks.”

The Ranger defense increased the tempo again and got a stop in just four plays to follow that touchdown, safety Jackson Morace leading the crusade on that drive. Marlow then led a quick drive to the end zone, making it a one-possession game just five seconds into the fourth quarter.

Grace had a quick answer with a drive helped by two penalties called on Santa Rosa, which made up 30 of the total 65 yards the Lancers needed to bring the score to 36-28. Morace was applying just enough pressure on the two-point conversion play that he knocked down the pass, saving his team from an even bigger deficit.

“We had a few mistakes in there that we need to clear up,” said Jones. “It’s the little things like that will get us, but overall our defense really did great,”

Warren quickly made up for any of the mistakes on the other side with a 55-yard touchdown run just four plays later, putting the Rangers within two with just under eight minutes to go in the game.

Santa Rosa defensive tackle Kaden Maxwell-Garcia played a crucial role in stopping the next Lancer drive, leading to another turnover on downs. Santa Rosa got the ball on the Lancer side of the 50 with just six minutes to go in the game.

Marlow ran the ball little by little to convert third downs, helped by Warren on a handful of plays, and senior Wyatt Spykstra, who ran 25 total yards on that drive. Those combined efforts got them within inches of the goal line with two minutes on the clock.

Marlow took the snap on second and inches, just two points away from the lead. He saw an opening and headed over the goal line but lost control of the ball just as he landed, resulting in a fumble recovered by Grace Brethren.

The Lancers ran the clock out on the next drive and went home with the victory.

In spite of the win slipping out of their grasp, the Rangers made sure to buoy up their quarterback. In a show of support, they gathered to embrace Marlow after the game.

“He thought this entire game was his fault just because of one mistake he made,” Warren said about Marlow. “That’s my brother right there; he didn’t do anything wrong.”

“It was heartwarming after what happened,” Marlow said of his teammates’ gesture. “We were right there about to win our homecoming game and it was brutal at the end, but it was nice to have that support and it really shows how real the brotherhood is that we have.”

The Ranger brotherhood will continue pre-league play Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the California Military Institute.

Ranger quarterback Daniel Marlow heads for the end zone Friday night. (Photo by Rick Rowell)

 Jack Warren looks for running room in Friday night's game against Grace Brethren. (Photo by Rick Rowell)

 Santa Rosa's Caleb Delgado tries to outmaneuver the Grace Brethren defense. (Photo by Rick Rowell)