MidValleySports.Com

“I’d go to battle with you men any day, your the kind of men I would gladly jump into a foxhole with!” —Rowland HC Craig Snyder

By Josh Ouellette

(Pomona)- In a game that started at 8:10 and finished just shy of 11:00, there was no place anyone in attendance would have rather been. There were ups and downs for both teams as Rowland defeated Diamond Ranch 23-16.

The Raiders spent over two hours on a bus to travel a little over 10 miles to meet up with the Panthers who hosted the contest at Ganesha High School, but Craig Snyder’s men came to spoil Roddy Layton’s playoff hopes.

D-Ranch came out flexing their might over Rowland capitalizing twice on two quick three and outs for the Raiders. Going up 10 points in their two opening drives thanks to a field goal and a seven-yard run up the gut by Xavier Beltran.

The Raiders found their stride on the ensuing drive thanks to two big yard penalties on the Panthers and Avery Duffus pounding runs. With Duffus getting his team on the board with a 13-yard scamper and juke into the endzone. Following the Noah Nunez point after the lead was cut to three.

Diamond Ranch were on the move late in the second quarter until Beltran’s pass over the middle was picked off by Rowland’s Andy Andrade and returned 35 yards to the Panther 20 yard line. It took one play for quarterback George Campos to find his favorite receiver on the night Mateo Lares on a 20-yard fade pattern in the endzone for the score. After a botched hold on the extra point the score was now 13-10 in favor of the Raiders.

D-Ranch began to drive again utilizing a William Bryan for run for 19 yards to help the Panthers reach midfield. But Beltran was duped by the coverage again and this time it was Lares who snatched away one of his passes to give the ball back to Rowland with just over a minute left in the half.

Rushes of 13 and 20 by Duffus set up his Raiders with the ball in the Diamond Ranch redzone. After three attempts for the touchdown the Raiders settled for a 30-yard Nunez field goal to give them the 16-10 lead going into the break.

The Panthers received the second half kickoff in great field position thanks to a short kick and nice return and began an immediate march back down field. Bryan led the charge carrying the rock for positive gains three of four plays until Beltran darted up the middle, beat the Raider safety and outran everyone else for the 37-yard touchdown run. A bad hold and a kick right back into the Diamond Ranch line knotted the score at 16-16 with only 1:40 taken off of the clock.

Both teams traded possessions, then Rowland began a drive that would ultimately clinch the game. Campos found Andrade for a 21-yard pass to the left. Only to be followed by a galloping 44-yard rush by Duffus. A few plays later on fourth and four Campos found Lares on the quick out and he beat his man dashing the rest of the way into paydirt for the 14-yard go-ahead score. Nunez nailed his point after attempt and gave the Raiders the 23-16 lead with 0:35 left in the third.

Diamond Ranch held a drive that lasted over six minutes darting their way down field thanks to runs by Bryan and Daniel Garcia until the Panthers faced a fourth and goal on the Raider two yard line. Beltran handed the ball off to Bryan up the middle but he was met and stuffed by a host of Rowland defensive men.

Running out the clock with Duffus orchestrated first downs allowed the celebration to begin for the Raiders. After the game Coach Snyder had this to say about his team, “Our kids have battled all year long. No one has given them credit, no one thinks their worth a damn, but they believe in themselves and that’s all it takes. These men don’t quit, and I love them.”

Diamond Ranch will fall to (5-3, 2-2) and will travel to take on Hacienda League leading Bonita (5-3, 4-0).

Rowland will jump to (7-2, 4-1) and will travel back home to take a week off and then will close out their season with West Covina (3-5, 2-2).