Mistakes burn Flames in home opener
Two Lodi High football players came up with big plays when it was needed in the third quarter.
But three Chavez players had bigger plays in the fourth quarter. That helped the visiting Titans spoil the Flames’ home opener, which was also their homecoming game, posting a 36-28 win at the Grape Bowl on Friday. The game, which was also Lodi’s homecoming, was tied 28-28 entering the fourth quarter.
Lodi inside linebacker Larry McDowell picked off a pass from Chavez quarterback Giovanni Gonzalez with 7:25 left in the third quarter, returning it 30 yards for a touchdown. That trimmed the Titans’ lead to 21-20. Lodi (1-1) saw its extra-point kick was blocked, but received new life when Chavez (2-1) was called for encroachment that gave the Flames another opportunity.
Lined up for the two-point conversion, Flames quarterback Logan Stout took the snap and ran the ball into the end zone that gave Lodi a 22-21 lead.
“I thought it was a descent game on both sides,” said Lodi coach George Duenas. “Both sides played hard tonight.”
After its defense forced Chavez to punt the ball, Lodi got the ball back and marched down the field for the final touchdown. Stout upped the Flames’ lead to 28-21 on a 13yard run, fighting off multiple Titan defenders as he twisted his way into the end zone with no time left in the quarter.
Then the fourth quarter belonged to the Titans.
Chavez fullback George Romero-Robinson scored on a 29-yard run. Jonathan Quinonez booted the extrapoint that tied the game at 2828 with 9:34 left in the contest.
At 7:34, the Titans took the lead at 34-28 when Gonzalez found Malik Dominque, who found running room down the Titans’ sidelines of 22 yards. Chavez added its final touchdown on a safety, when Lodi
was called for intentional grounding in the Titans’ end zone with 6:36 left for what add up to be the final score.
Prior to McDowell’s score, the Titans led 21-14, thanks to first connection between Gonzalez to Dominque, this one of 33 yards.
The game was tied 14-14 at halftime. With 49.3 seconds left in the second quarter, Lodi tied the game when outside linebacker Andreas Pappas picked off a Gonzalez pass and returned it 25 yards into the end zone. Colton Stout booted the extra-point.
But 42 seconds earlier, Lodi scored its first touchdown in the contest when Logan Stout scored on a 1-yard keeper. Colton Stout’s kick made it 147.
Chavez, which led 7-0 after the first quarter, made it 14-0 when Gonzalez completed a 12-yard pass to Rashard Stallworth, who sped past a Lodi defender down the Flames’ sidelines for the touchdown. Gonzalez scored the Titans’ first touchdown on a quarterback keeper with 3:07 left in the opening quarter.
Lodi was consistent in moving the ball down the field in the contest. But the Flames were also guilty of four turnovers when inside the Titans’ territory. One of the Flames’ turnovers led to the Titans’ first touchdown in the first quarter.
“Turnovers killed us,” Duenas said. “That was a little disappointing. Every time we got over moving, a big mistake brought us back. Sometimes you’ve got to learn the hard way. We’ve got to protect the ball.”
In the junior varsity game, Lodi improved to 2-0 on the season with a 14-8 win over Chavez.