Slow start dooms Warriors in opener

The Fallbrook High football team played a solid second half in its first game of the 2018 season. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to make up for a rough first half.

"A tale of two halves," said Fallbrook High head football coach Darius Pickett of the Warriors' 38-22 loss to Del Norte High at Fallbrook Stadium Aug. 17.

Del Norte outscored Fallbrook 31-6 in the first half. The Warriors won the second half 16-7.

"The first half, I don't know if it was first-game jitters or nerves, but that was not what I was expecting," said Pickett. "The second half, that was the team I was expecting to show up this year."

Offensively in the first half, Fallbrook hurt itself with penalties, including three in a four-

play sequence during its second possession of the game. Defensively, the Warriors made errors that resulted in big plays that set up Del Norte touchdowns.

"In the first half, it was penalties and mental mistakes and it just keep snowballing," said Pickett. "We just couldn't shake it off. In the second half, we were much better. I think we were much calmer and more focused. We cut down on the mistakes."

Fallbrook's only score in the first half came in the second quarter when quarterback Jake McBroom connected with Dru Calloway for a 22-yard touchdown completion. Calloway made a fine catch and then managed to stay inbounds, crossing the goal line just inside the right pylon. Kicker Miguel Diego Rojas never had a chance to kick the extra point due to a bad snap.

"That was a nice catch by Dru Calloway," said Pickett of the Warriors' first score of the season.

The Warriors scored on their first possession of the second half when they marched 66 yards on eight plays, a sequence that was capped by an 18-yard touchdown scamper by McBroom. The drive featured a 22-yard completion over the middle from McBroom to Craig Person. Rojas added the extra point.

Fallbrook's other scoring drive in the third quarter started at its own five-yard line and ended with Rojas kicking an 18-yard field goal through the uprights. The march started with running back Jalen Webb weaving his way to a 37-yard gain. Webb later had runs of 13 yards and 6 yards that set up Rojas' field goal, which cut Del Norte's lead to 31-16 with 2:34 to go in the third quarter.

Del Norte scored its only touchdown in the second half with 6:31 to go in the fourth quarter to make the score 38-16.

Fallbrook completed its scoring when Webb ran 14 yards for a touchdown with 4:39 left in the game. That score was set up by Corbin Nash's recovery of a Del Norte fumble on a punt return that gave Fallbrook possession at the Nighthawks' 25-yard line.

Pickett said he saw a lot of things that he liked in the opener.

"Offensively, I think (McBroom) played much better in the second half than he did in the first half," said Pickett. "I think the whole game, (Webb) was very solid and consistent for us. I think the offensive line played a decent game. Passing-wise, they protected the quarterback really well."

"Defensively, I think (linebacker) Corbin Nash played very well the entire game," continued Pickett. "Our corner, Daniel Cedillo, who is also our punter, did an excellent job in the punting game, and at corner for us too. Miguel did a good job kicking the field goal. I was very pleased with our special teams and the kicking game."

The 2018 opener was decided by a few big plays, according to Pickett.

"We played pretty solid defense the whole game, we just made some mental mistakes that were huge for them – gave them the big plays they needed to put points on the board," said Pickett. "For whatever reason, we couldn't connect on the deep ball. We have to figure out a way to complete some of those big plays."

The Warriors' next opportunity to execute some big plays is Friday, Aug. 24, when it hosts Sweetwater. Kickoff is 7 p.m.