Warriors shut out Cougars in football playoff

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

Fallbrook High School's football team was victorious in the Warriors' CIF Division V playoff game Nov. 12 at home against San Ysidro High School.

The 49-0 win was Fallbrook's first CIF playoff victory since 2015 and gives the Warriors a semifinal berth tomorrow night, Nov. 19, at Palo Verde High School in Blythe.

"We just played well," said Fallbrook head coach Troy Everhart.

Fallbrook's first win of the season was at San Ysidro. That game also had 49 total points, although Fallbrook only scored 35 of those while the Cougars had 14. "When we played them in Week 3 we were still figuring out who we were," Everhart said.

That Sept. 3 game was in San Ysidro. As the higher-seeded playoff team, the fourth-seeded Warriors hosted the 12th-seeded Cougars, who defeated fifth-seeded Escondido Charter in the first round of the playoffs Nov. 5 when Fallbrook had a first-round bye. Everhart noted that playing at home was another difference from the first game against San Ysidro. "We didn't have to make the trip," he said.

"It was nice to have a good crowd represent our school and our town," Everhart said. "I was really pleased with the turnout."

Everhart noted that San Ysidro learned lessons from the Sept. 3 game. "They made, I thought, a really good move to put #1 at quarterback. I just felt we played better," Everhart said.

Matthew Jaime had been a running back before being placed in the quarterback position. A different quarterback didn't help the Cougars against Fallbrook's defense. "They did not move the ball," Everhart said.

A holding penalty took yards away from the Warriors on their first possession of the game and forced them to punt, but later in the first quarter sophomore Chris Bausch ran for a five-yard touchdown and sophomore Alan Leon kicked the extra point. Leon made all seven of his conversion attempts during the game.

The Warriors had five touchdowns during the second quarter: a 7-yard Bausch run, a 35-yard run by sophomore Marquise Washington, a 7-yard run by junior Marcus Washington, a 44-yard run by Bausch, and a 57-yard pass from freshman Evan Thomas to senior Charlie Stallings.

"I just thought the kids performed exceptionally well and we executed the offense the way it was supposed to be executed," Everhart said.

Marquise Washington had six carries for 92 yards during the night. Bausch ended the game with 11 carries for 91 yards.

Fallbrook's starting offensive line consisted of junior Jayms McAlexander at center, sophomore James Jones and sophomore Gabe Mendoza as guards, junior Gavin Miller as one offensive tackle, sophomore Tank Benitez and senior Elijah Domer rotating series of downs at the other offensive tackle position, and junior Reese Holmes as the tight end.

Under CIF San Diego Section rules, a lead of at least 35 points in the fourth quarter triggers a running clock, although if both coaches agree the running clock may start sooner. San Ysidro head coach Keith Aguon and Everhart agreed to a running clock for the entirety of the second half. The Warriors did not attempt any passes in the second half. Everhart brought up approximately 15 players from the junior varsity for the playoffs. "We basically played the kids we had brought up from the JV team the entire second half," Everhart said. "We had no intention to try to score again, but we weren't going to stop our kids from scoring."

The Warriors closed out scoring in the third quarter with a 7-yard touchdown run by John Reynoso, a sophomore who was on the junior varsity during the regular season, and Leon's kick for the point after.

In the fourth quarter, senior Kaden Lamare intercepted a Cougars pass. The Warriors also had a fumble recovery when junior Trent Pack was the first to the ball after a muffed punt return.

Fallbrook's season record improved to 5-6. The 49-point margin of victory matches Fallbrook's largest ever in a playoff game. The Warriors' path to the 1986 Class 3A championship began with a 55-6 first-round home victory against Madison.