BRENTWOOD — Profitable league video games has been like clockwork for Pittsburg for the final 20 years.
Friday night time’s matchup towards Heritage was no totally different.
In a sport that featured two of the most well liked groups within the East Bay, Pittsburg’s expertise proved to be an excessive amount of because the Pirates shut out out the Patriots 45-0 on the highway.
Pittsburg struggled with penalties all through Friday’s sport, accruing over 100 yards in infractions. However that didn’t matter because the vaunted Pittsburg protection picked off two passes, sacked the quarterback 3 times and held the often high-powered Heritage assault to 123 of whole offense.
Pittsburg coach Charlie Ramirez stated regardless of the errors, he was happy with the way in which the workforce responded to adversity.
“We’re attempting to keep away from giving issues away, whether or not it’s penalties or wasted alternatives,” Ramirez stated. “We needed to capitalize on the massive performs, which we did. We buckled down, even despite all of the penalties.
“Seeing that maturation course of with this protection was nice to see. It was positively the kind of studying we wish to begin seeing from not a younger protection, however a protection that also has some room to develop.”
The win marked the 14th straight time Pittsburg has come out victorious towards its Bay Valley Athletic League rival. Pittsburg has not misplaced a sport to a BVAL opponent since 2018 and is 96-11 in league video games since 2004.
Pittsburg goes to be heavy favorites in the remainder of its league schedule going ahead, however Ramirez is hoping to see the identical stage of competitiveness and focus all through the remainder of the season.
“It’s a kind of issues that you simply don’t wish to have a drop off,” he stated. “We don’t wish to be enjoying towards ourselves and shedding observe of assignments, shedding observe of scheme, shedding observe of competitors and shedding observe of execution primarily based on who we’re enjoying. All people within the BVAL is hard and we’ve got to offer it our greatest.”
Pittsburg bought off to a quick begin in its 45-0 league-opening win over Freedom final week and Friday’s sport was no totally different.
Marley Alcantara’s 64-yard landing go to Really Bell gave Pittsburg a 14-0 lead seven minutes into the primary quarter. Later within the first, Elijah Bow capped off a five-play, 90-yard drive with a bruising landing from 4 yards out.
Down 28-0 Within the second quarter, Heritage strung collectively its finest possession of the sport partly attributable to some premature performs from Pittsburg’s protection.
Backed up close to their very own finish zone, Heritage was pressured to go three-and-out, however a roughing the kicker penalty superior the Patriots’ offense down the sector. Later within the drive, Pittsburg bought a cease on third-and-long, however an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty stored the Heritage drive alive.
“I used to be annoyed by that as a result of these are studying moments as a result of we’re gonna use that to have the ability to drive residence that we gotta be specializing in us,” Ramirez stated.
The yellow laundry continued all through the possession to the tune of 66.5 of whole yardage. However the Pirates made a goal-line stand and stopped the Patriots on the four-yard-line.
On the very subsequent play, operating again Jamar Searcy channeled his interior Beast Mode, breaking quite a few tackles en path to a 96-yard dashing rating to place Pittsburg up 35-0 at halftime.
“I noticed my O-line blocking for me and the outlet opened,” Searcy stated. “I simply needed to burst by it, belief the method and use my capacity to interrupt tackles.”
Searcy completed the night time with 139 yards dashing on six carries.
In an effort to maintain the workforce and the group within the sport, Heritage performed the favored Journey music, “Don’t Cease Believin” at halftime, however Pittsburg closed the door on any huge comeback early within the third quarter.
With most starters on the sideline, Pittsburg drove 72 yards in 4 performs, ending with a Carlos Torres to Makari Kenion 39-yard landing go on the primary possession of the second half that initiated the operating clock rule and iced the sport for Pittsburg.
“We really feel like we’re one of the best workforce in NorCal,” Searcy stated. “We simply needed to deal with the sport like observe, don’t overlook our opponent and simply play a bodily sport.”
The Patriots have been heavy underdogs going into Friday’s sport. Heritage was with out senior beginning quarterback Phillip Babbitt who was out with harm and was overmatched at virtually each place.
Longtime Heritage coach Dave Fogelstrom is aware of all too effectively the challenges of enjoying Pittsburg – a workforce that’s all the time loaded with school expertise.
“Issues occur quicker towards Pittsburg than they do in some other sport,” he stated. “It’s simply one thing that till you expertise it as a participant, you simply don’t know what you’re in for.”
Damage Updates
Each groups performed a bodily sport, which led to some unlucky accidents down the stretch.
Alcantara limped off the sector early within the second quarter after what gave the impression to be a hamstring harm. He re-entered the sport on Pittsburg’s last drive of the primary half, however sat the second half with the remainder of the starters when the sport was out of attain for Heritage. Ramirez confirmed Alcantara is OK and the workforce was being precautious about his harm by conserving him on the sideline.
Pittsburg offensive lineman Jonah Leleasapai was carted off the sector after rolling his ankle on the identical play Alcantara needed to depart the sport. Ramirez stated Leleasapai suffered a excessive ankle sprain – a re-aggravation of an ankle harm he suffered earlier this season – however stated he doesn’t consider the harm is “something severe.”
