Trojans Win Game 1


In the first matchup against each other this season the Yucca Valley Trojans came away with a 26 - 13 victory over the 29 Palms Wildcats. This contest was a non-league affair, with the annual Battle of the Bell to take place on October 31st. If this game is any indication, the future game should be a dandy.
The Trojans were able to take advantage of great field position throughout the evening, while the Cats were pinned deep most of the night. The Trojans first score was on a 7 yard drive following a Wildcat turnover with just 57 seconds left in the first quarter. The two teams battled to a stalemate from this point, until the final 37 seconds of the half. A 19 yard pass from Ribera to Reynaud gave the Trojans a 14 - 0 halftime lead. In the second half, the Cats finally awoke from their slumber to rack up over 250 yards of offense to make the game close. On the first series the Cats drove the ball down to the one yard line on a 33 yard pass from Stanford to Usher. The Trojans defense stiffened, and the Cats were turned away. A few plays later an 87 yard double pass to Reynaud gave the Trojans a 20 - 0 lead. The Cats refused to go quietly though, as Bernie Ayon ripped off a beautiful 84 yard run on the next play from scrimmage. The conversion point by Peter Babuata made it 20 - 7. A great defensive stand by the Wildcats created a terrific diving interception by Lance Bednorski. The Cats drove down to the Trojan 4 yard line, led by key plays from Stanford, Ayon, Oquendo, and Moscato. The Cats were plagued by another turnover, and lost a valuable scoring opportunity. They were rescued moments later when Bernie Ayon forced a fumble and the Cats recovered deep in Trojan territory. A 5 yard pass from T.J. Stanford to Antonio Oquendo made it a ballgame at 20-13. The Cats failed on their last opportunity to tie or win after a 35 yard drive ended in a turnover. Jerry Asencio would ice the game with 1:40 left on a 33 yard run.
Offensive stats gave the Cats an edge with 302 yards vs. 260 for the Trojans. Bernie Ayon was the leading rusher with 9 carries for 130 yards, while Stanford was 18 of 27 for 148 yards. The leading receiver was Antonio Oquendo with 5 catches for 42 yards. He was followed by Nick Young with 5 catches for 39 yards, and Michael Usher with 4 for 37.

Coaches Comments:
We did not play well at all in the first half! We need to come out next week and play tough all 4 quarters. We can't wait until the second half to play. There was great improvement in the 2nd half, but our kids know they can play much better! We going to concentrate on the new season, everyone is (0-0) heading into De Anza league play. The league is wide open this year!

Wildcat of the Week

Ryan Tenney- Ryan is a Senior Defensive lineman, who has worked extremely hard this season. Ryan was our most consistent lifter in the weightroom, and his efforts have paid off. He made several outstanding plays against Yucca Valley. Ryan's work ethic is tremendous on the field and in the classroom.