Williams, Rams find running attack, top Cardinals
RANCHO CUCAMONGA >> It is not difficult for a team to find motivation when its plays a rival or undefeated team.
How that team plays against an opponent with zero wins as opposed to zeroes losses can be revealing for a coach.
The Chaffey College football team delivered one of its most dominant performance of the season Saturday evening. The offense scored nine touchdowns and the defense yielded none, as the Panthers routed West L.A. College 62-0 in an AmericanMetro Conference opener at Grigsby Field.
It marked the program’s first shutout since October 19, 2019.
Chaffey coach Darrin Chiaverini wondered how he team would play against a winless team coming off a bye week.
“You’re always concerned whenever you have a big win against a ranked opponent (Pasadena City College) at home. How are you going to responded after that against a team that hasn’t won a game?” Chiaverini said. “I told the players that we’re not going to worry about who we’re playing. We will just focus on ourselves during the week and that will dictate how we play.”
Dereun Dortch tossed four touchdowns passes, and Jayson Cortes added three scores on the ground to lead the offense.
But when Chiaverini handed out “game balls” after the victory, the first was flipped to defensive coordinator Junior Tanuvasa.
“It’s hard to get a shutout at any level. They bowed their necks and I’m proud of seeing it through to the end,” Chiaverini said.
Chaffey (6-0, 1-0) needed only seven plays and less than 3 minutes to score its first touchdown. Darrin Thomas ran to the right side and raced up the sideline for a 44-yard touchdown. Cortes capped another seven-play drive about 6 minutes later with a 4-yard run up the gut to double the Panthers’ advantage to 12-0.
Dortch completed his first seven passes, and the sixth one was a 37-yard strike to Will Davis
that helped Chaffey extend the lead to 19-0 with 3:02 left in the opening quarter.
In the second quarter, Dortch threw a touchdown to Corey Cabriales (23 yards) and a second one to Davis (58 yards), and Dortch’s fourth touchdown of the game went to Demajea Mitchell (21 yards) in the third quarter. Mitchell’s catch was the highlight-reel play of the night, as he made a one-handed diving grab in the end zone.
Cortes added scores of 55 yards and 2 yards in the third quarter. Ryder Ruiz capped the scoring with a 1-yard run in the fourth.
Chiaverini was not hired until May and had less than two
INGLEWOOD >> Through two quarters Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, the Rams had run the ball three times for a total of 5 yards. The offense that Sean McVay had established six years ago on the legs of Todd Gurley opening up space for the air game had seemed to lose its identity, and as a result the Rams trailed by three points at halftime.
But when the second half resumed, McVay called a carry for Kyren Williams that went 17 yards. Then a dive by Williams. Then a pitch to the outside by the second-year running back, then another carry. Then a couple handoffs to backup Ronnie Rivers, then back to Williams for two more.
Eight consecutive runs later, the Rams moved 60 yards before quarterback Matthew Stafford dropped back. With the defense softened up to defend the run, Stafford found receiver Cooper Kupp for the go-ahead touchdown.
Kupp’s first score of the year, and the rediscovered balance on offense, set up the Rams’ 26-9 win over the Cardinals.
After rushing just twice for 4
Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp makes a first-down catch as Cardinals cornerback Kei’Trel Clark defends during Sunday’s game.