Calhoun takes control of subregion with rivalry victory
Sonoraville falls behind early, struggles in rivalry loss at home
In one of the most highly- anticipated clashes of the season, the Sonoraville Phoenix felt the full offensive and defensive sting of the Calhoun Yellow Jackets in a 34-0 loss.
The Phoenix (6-3, 3- 1) typically boast one of the most prolific rushing pairs in the region with quarterback Patrick Moore and running back Tristan Key. However, the Jackets (6-2, 3-0) scouted the duo well, clogging the gaps and stymying the running game.
In total, Sonoraville compiled 126 yards of offense.
“We can’t make any excuses, “Phoenix head coach Jim Kremer said. “I was proud of our effort, but we just got outplayed in many aspects of the game tonight.“
Moore toted the ball 14 times for 24 yards. Key fared a little better with his limited chances, turning seven carries into 36 yards.
The longest run of the night for Sonoraville belonged to Trenton Daniel. He took an early first-quarter handoff and knifed through the Calhoun defense for a 48-yard gain. Daniel finished the night with an efficient 50 yards on two carries.
Moore also struggled to get much going through the air in a game where Calhoun controlled the clock. He attempted only four passes. Wide receiver Camron Keith recorded the only Sonoraville reception by snagging a four-yard catch.
Offensive drives for Sonoraville were often stalled by penalties. Many of the best runs of the night were negated by the 88 penalty yards that the Phoenix racked up on 11 flags.
Turnovers also proved costly for Sonoraville. On the first drive, Moore mishandled a high snap that resulted in a lost fumble. Key lost a fumble on his best run of the night, getting the ball poked out from behind after a 14-yard scamper. Daniel followed that by getting stripped on a kickoff in the late third quarter.
“Calhoun is a very good team,“Kremer said. “When you turn the ball over at the rate we did and commit that many penalties, there’s almost no chance that you can win.“
However, the biggest issue for the Phoenix on Friday was containing Calhoun’s primary offensive weapon Baylon Spector. Spector amassed 133 rushing yards on the ground on 26 carries. He also powered his way to three rushing scores, while tacking on a receiving score for good measure.
Gavin Gray took the most snaps at signal-caller for the Jackets, who often employ a two-quarterback system. Gray threw for 214 yard on 19 completions.
Calhoun utilized their spread attack with 10 different receivers catching passes. Malik Lawrence did most the damage with his 83 yards of receiving on six catches. Luke Jones added a six-yard receiving score in the early second quarter.
“I was really proud of the defense tonight,“Kremer said. “They were on the field for a very long amount of time, and they were trying to stop a very good offense.“
Sonoraville is off next Friday, but will look to bounce back in the region play-in game on Nov. 4 against an opponent to be determined. Calhoun is back in action next Friday at home against Bremen.