Terra Linda continues its Bell Game win streak
The ring of the bell on the Bell Game trophy echoed across the field at San Rafael High late Friday night as Terra Linda players enjoyed the spoils of victory, taking their turns to shake and rattle their prize.
In a football season where so much has already been so different one constant remained: the Bell Game trophy is once again going home with Terra Linda.
The Trojans won their 18th consecutive rivalry game against San Rafael, shutting out the Bulldogs 28-0 in the first MCAL football game in 16 months and the first of this pandemicaltered spring season.
“I mean obviously it’s a huge thing, it’s the game of the year for these guys and it means more this year because there’s no playoffs, there’s no anything like that,” said Terra Linda head coach Dallas Hartwell. “So this is the big game. This is the big one and so they gotta be happy.”
The Trojans (1-0) recorded five turnovers — three interceptions and two fumbles — and used steady contributions from a handful of football newcomers to ring in the new season on a high note.
Arguably the best of those standout newcomers were Liam Riley and Karl Johnson, who both played in their first tackle football games on Friday night. Riley, a longtime basketball player, finished with a game-high 75 yards receiving with two touchdowns along with an interception and fumble recovery on defense. Johnson, who usually plays baseball, led the way on the ground with a gamehigh 111 yards on 14 carries.
The Trojans also deployed two quarterbacks on offense in Zack Cauz, another football newcomer, and Tommy Hayes. The two traded series throughout the contest, a strategy that ultimately benefited both signal callers.
“It was actually amazing,” said Hayes, a returning varsity player. “It was like I threw a touchdown or whatever and then I get another drive and then (Zack) gets in for a drive and I just feel refreshed as soon as I got back in.”
Cauz finished with 93 yards on 7-of-11 passing with two touchdowns while Hayes went 6 of 16 for 82 yards through the air with a score.
Wes Rodas also contributed two interceptions on
defense, while Marley Elwood and Simon Nisenboim had fumble recoveries for the Trojans. TL limited San Rafael to less than 100 yards of total offense.
Terra Linda did, however, also commit 14 penalties as a team, a number that Hartwell understandably wants to drastically reduce ahead of his team’s challenge next week against Redwood.
He said Friday’s game was “far from perfect,” but also not unexpected with so many new faces and coming off the longest offseason he’s ever experienced.
While a spirited and hard-fought game allaround, Terra Linda struck first in the opening period and never trailed. Riley scored the first of his two first-half touchdowns on a 27-yard reception from Hayes before hauling in a 4-yard score from Cauz in the second frame that pushed the score to 14-0, where it stood at the half.
The Bulldogs (0-1) had their chances to answer but turnovers plagued them throughout the first half. They only ran three plays in their one offensive possession in the first quarter
and each of their three possessions in the second quarter ended with turnovers.
“I think that’s what won us this game,” Hayes said. “Those turnovers were huge and just at the perfect moment.
Terra Linda put the game away in the third quarter thanks to 20-yard touchdown run from Josiah Hernandez followed about six minutes later with Cauz’s second TD pass of the night, this one to Jack Brody from 11 yards out.
While most of Terra Linda’s newcomers have witnessed their fair share of Bell Games from the stands during their high school careers, those didn’t quite compare to the experience in actually playing in one, even if the stands weren’t packed like they might be in a normal season.
“I mean watching it, it doesn’t seem that important but when you get on the team you realize how much it means to these guys who have been playing for four years,” Johnson said. “It feels good for me but it feels even better to have some of these guys who are seniors who just really care about the game.”