MidValleySports.Com

Chris Campbell rushed for two touchdowns, both in the fourth quarter to cement the victory

(Lancaster) – Paraclete completed a perect Alpha League run with a 31-17 win over Sierra Canyon Friday night at Antelope Valley College. The Spirits avenged two losses to the Trailblazers last year and ended a 23 game Sierra Canyon winning streak over the last two years.

“You know they (Sierra Canyon) are a great football team. They have great athletes and great coaches,” said Paraclete Coach Norm Dahlia. “We started off slow and made some mistakes and we just had to remind everybody that it’s just another game. We just had to get our heads straight and it all worked out for us.”

Dahlia was referring to the first quarter when Paraclete fumbled in its opening drive and was forced to punt on its second. Meanwhile Sierra Canyon was moving the football behind the running of Xavier Menifield. The Blazers missed a 47 yard field goal attempt on their first possession but on their next series, Menifield finished off a 52 yard drive with a five yard touchdown run late in the first quarter. Menifield rushed for 75 yards in the first half.

But for Sierra Canyon that was the last time they scored until late in the fourth. In the meantime Paraclete found its groove.  Andrew Jimenez booted a 31 yard field goal in the second quarter. Then a 45 yard run by Antoyne Hutcherson set up a 17 yard touchdown pass from Tyler Carvalho to Chad Hall with a minute left in the first half to give the Spitits a 10-7 lead at the break. They never surrendered it.

Sierra Canyon punted on its first two possessions of the second half. Paralcete after being stopped on fourth down at the Sierra Canyon 25, scored on its next series in the third quarter. Hutcherson rushed for 16 yards and Chris Campbell for 11 to move the ball down to the Blazer 17. Carvalho then connected with Tristan Brown for a 17 yard TD strike to make it 17-7 with 2:48 left in the third.

The Spirits drove the nail in the Sierra Canyon coffin in the fourth. The Blazers fumbled a punt at their own 14 and sophomore Micah Robinson fell on it. Two plays later Campbell carried three tacklers with him across the goal line for a 24-7 lead. Game, set, match.

Campbell would get loose one more time. After Noah Zgrablich kicked a 36 yard field goal for Sierra Canyon, Campbell ran into the pile at the line of scrimmage on the Spirits’ next series. Seconds later he came out of the pile, brushed aside a defender and raced 33 yards for a score.

The Trailblazers scored late when Andre Nunez hit Brandon Lee for 58 yards and then Preston White for a 12 yard touchdown. But the barn door had already opened and the Spirit horse was way down the road.

Carvalho was the epitome of efficiency completing eight of nine passs for 142 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 68 yards. Campbell had 17 carries for 96 yards and a pair of scores.

Menifield was a workhorse for Sierra Canyon. He carried the rock 18 times for 138 yards and a touchdown.

Both teams finished 9-1 overall but the difference was Paraclete’s loss was the first game of the season. Sunday both will find out their first round opponents in the Mid-Valley Division playoffs.