Rio Vista outlasts Golden Sierra

RIO VISTA — The Golden Sierra football team may lack players, but it never lacks heart. The Grizzlies, who dealt with a couple of poundings in past weeks, took on Rio Vista Friday without their 6-foot-3, 210-pound running back, Jim Hansen, and still gave the Rams all they could handle.

Griz coach John Hilton, who predicted a tough night against Rio Vista, challenged the team to give 110 percent and he wasn't disappointed, thanking everyone in the postgame huddle for "leaving it all on the field."

Led by speedster Javis Blalock's three touchdown runs, the Rams defeated Golden Sierra 20-33, but it was a game that played much closer than the score indicates.

The Grizzlies were in the game the whole way. Down 26-13 in the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies put together their final drive of the night, a 12-play possession that culminated in quarterback Mike Aplanalp's 16-yard pass to Connor Barla on a crossing route. In the drive Aplanalp picked up 15 yards on a draw play and 9 more on a keeper, Shawn Alexander rushed six times for 15 yards and Adam Sewell ran twice for 17.

The Grizzlies' momentum was short lived. After the Griz' Bryson Campbell split the uprights for the point-after, the Rams recovered an onside kick and ran just four plays before Blalock cut outside and darted up the sideline, staying on his feet while spinning and shaking off tacklers. Thirty-seven yards later Blalock was in the end zone.

"He's a heck of an athlete," Hilton said of Blalock. "When I saw him keep upright and get through everyone up the sideline — that was something," Hilton said.

The Grizzlies had 1:19 left to try and score but their only turnover of the night on the first play from scrimmage sealed the homecoming win for the Rams. From there Ram quarterback Austin Stevens took a knee three times to run out the clock.

"That was a tough game but it was fun," Sewell said. "The team is like a family and we love the coach and trust his decisions. He's in it for the long haul and we're going to come together."

Rio Vista's Charlie Chres and Tanner Webster each scored in the first quarter while Golden Sierra was held to two three-and-outs. But midway through the period, the Grizzlies started to make things happen. The Rams were moving the ball — even converting on a fourth down — but Zander Mishler, Alexander and Campbell made some key stops to slow their progress.

A fumble recovered by Alexander at the 39-yard line set up Golden Sierra's first touchdown. After Alexander picked up a first down in two carries, he ran off left guard, veered outside and juked a defender on a 29-yard touchdown run with nine seconds left in the quarter. Campbell's kick was good.

After Nate Duvall dropped Webster for a loss in the second period, the Rams punted for the first time and the Griz set up shop with a short field on the 45. Aplanalp threw a 7-yard pass to Campbell and Sewell, Anderson, Cisco Lesher and Barla did the work on the ground en route to Anderson's 1-yard dive into the end zone with 3:57 on the clock. The PAT was wide but for a brief time, the Griz were on top 13-12.

Blalock spoiled the fun 37 seconds later with his 67-yard scamper followed by Chres' two-point conversion. Two minutes later Stevens faked a keeper and handed off inside to Blalock for a 24-yard touchdown. At halftime the Rams were up 26-13.

Notable plays included Sewell's and Alexander's fumble recoveries, Campbell's touchdown-saving tackle, Lesher and Campbell's later stop of Blalock that prevented him from scoring again, and Alexander's 4-yard fourth-down conversion run.

"The team was awesome and the best thing is they had fun," Hilton said. "They gave it all out there and still had a chance late. That was a good team we played. I'm very proud of them (Grizzlies)."

The Grizzly junior varsity team won the first game 42-0.

Golden Sierra is back at home Friday for a game with Encina. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.