Grizzlies pick-off Titans
GHHS returns two INTS for touchdowns
The old notion that “defense wins games” was proven after outstanding defensive play from the Granite Hills High School football team’s 20-0 win over Orange Cove in Thursday night’s non-league game at Jacob Rankin Stadium.
Granite Hills defensive backs had a total of five interceptions and one fumble recovery from their line to improve to 3-0 on the season. Both of the Grizzlies’ first two touchdowns were interceptions returned for touchdowns, while another was turned into a touchdown drive.
“Defensively, if we continue to play like we do defensively, it’s pretty scary,” said GHHS head coach Dan Williams. “We had five picks tonight, two for a score, that’s pretty good.”
The Grizzlies’ first pick-6 came from senior cornerback Alexis Gil, who took Orange Cove’s Carlos Jimenez’s pass 58-yards for the first score of the game and a 7-0 lead with 2:36 left in the first quarter.
In the second, it was senior cornerback Jordan Flores’ time to shine.
After an unsuccessful Granite Hills drive to start the second quarter, Orange Cove (1-3) got the ball back on their own 15-yard line. After a short gain from their running back on the first down, Jimenez took to the air on and the Grizzlies Flores read the ball well. Making the interception, he ran it back for 20 yards and another six points on the board after Granite Hills kicker, Jason Alvarez, missed the PAT.
Flores also had another interception in the third quarter, while senior linebacker Zane Roberts and senior free safety Seth Luna had interceptions in the third and fourth quarters, respectively. Although this is the first time since 2006 that Granite Hills has started the season off 3-0, Williams said the win felt “empty”.
“It’s kind of an empty win for me tonight because offensively I thought we would perform a lot better,” he said. “We got a lot of work to do ahead of us.”
Neither team attempted a field goal and on seven of Granite Hills’ drives the team punted five times including once when Luna’s third-quarter interception put the Grizzlies in great field position — on the Titans’ 20-yard line.
“We didn’t capitalize and we gotta get better at that,” said Williams. “We gotta be able to get the ball in the [end]zone, when we get a chance to get the ball in the zone.”
However, Granite Hills’ final score of the game came after Flores’ third-quarter interception on Orange Cove’s third play of the second half put the ball on the Grizzlies’ 47-yard line. Backed up to their own 33-yard line on second-and-24 after a holding and false start penalty, junior quarterback Lalo Alcantar hit senior wide receiver Kenny Xayacheck for a 67-yard touchdown pass.
“We completed a pass for a touchdown, so that was the first one of the year,” said Williams. “That’s a positive.”
The Grizzlies got limited use out of their star running back, senior Jasper Berumen who was playing with a brace on his leg and had 70 yards on 13 carries. He did not play the fourth quarter.
Granite Hills continues a four-game home stretch with a 7:15 p.m. non-league game against Kern Valley (1-1) on Friday, Sept. 22.