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Freshman Warriors start season with win over Placer
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Photo by Kerensa Uyeta-Buckley
Jacob McGinnis receives a 14-yard touchdown pass from Auston Solway in the first quarter of the freshmen Warriors’ 39-13 win over Placer Thursday.
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By Kerensa Uyeta-Buckley
Herald Sports
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The two teams weren’t even supposed to play Thursday, but the Galt Warriors made a last-minute pairing with Placer High School work in their favor in a big way, defeating the Hillmen 39-13.
The Warriors used 352 rushing yards to power a huge offensive effort in which Galt earned its first win of the season.
The Warriors scored early with two touchdown in the first quarter.
Auston Solway threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Jacob McGinnis to give Galt a 6-0 lead in the first quarter with 6:06 left.
Placer was unable to reach a first down and gave Galt possession minutes later, which eventually led to a three yard touchdown run by Christian Giovannie and the PAT run by Solway for a 14-0 Galt lead with 1:12 left.
Placer was within scoring distance in the second quarter, but penalties pushed Placer back several times and they were unable to convert a first down.
The Warriors soon after scored when Zack Alcoriza scored on an 86-yard touchdown run that gave Galt a 20-0 lead.
Placer, which ran the ball to its own 43 yard line with 23 seconds left, ran out of time before it was able to run a serious offensive drive.
While Placer made a viable run to put a touchdown on the board in the third quarter and got the ball within Galt’s five-yard line, Galt stopped the ball and took away any threat of a third quarter touchdown.
Danny Balcorta later intercepted a Placer pass for a 24-yard touchdown.
After Jonathon Perez’s extra point, the Warriors had a 27-0 lead.
In the fourth quarter, Placer scored its first touchdown with 7:39 left for a 27-6 game.
On Galt’s resulting possession, Perez ran for a 33-yard touchdown with 6:16 left to push the score to 33-6.
Placer scored its second touchdown with just under four minutes left to come within 33-13 of Galt before the Warriors scored their final touchdown on a two-yard touchdown run by Steven Oliva with 43 seconds left.
“Our defense has really been working hard in both the scrimmages (at Sheldon and Foothill). We got a lot of guys that can go in there and hit and tonight the starters really gave a good opportunity for the rest of the players to get in there and play,” said Galt head coach Tim Cobleigh.
“We’ve got 49 guys and they like to hit. I think that’s the best part of our defense right now,” Cobleigh said.
Alcoriza rushed four times for 104 yards including his touchdown, Oliva rushed eight times for 70 yards including a touchdown and had one reception for 47 yards.
McGinnis rushed four times for 50 yards and had two receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown reception.
Giovannie rushed three times for 41 yards including a touchdown run, Solway had eight rushes for 32 yards and Balcorta rushed three times for 22 yards.
Solway had three of four compleions for 84 passing yards, including a touchdown pass.
Balcorta also had a 14 yard punt return and two kickoffs returned for 33 yards.
Galt and Placer had arranged to play their first preseason game less than one week earlier, after McNair was unable to play due to lack of a freshman team, according to Galt athletic director Greg Sloan.
“These guys have worked hard all summer long,” Cobleigh said of his players.
“This freshman group was the first group that got to go to Fresno State’s camp. Nineteen of them went and the rest of us worked in the summer time and they put in a long, hard summer,” said Cobleigh.
Galt will take on Lodi next in an away game held tomorrow night at 5 p.m.
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