25 Sep Oilers Football Still Searching For Win Column, Lose 10th Straight

The Richmond High Oilers got on the scoreboard for the first time this season but failed to build or maintain the lead, losing 31-6 to George Washington High on Sept. 20 at home.

Story and photos by Joe Porrello

What looked early like a long awaited win for Richmond High on their home field Sept. 20 quickly became a tale of turnovers and their largest margin of defeat this season.

Both the Oilers and their opponent came in winless, but George Washington High withstood a slow start, taking advantage of timely turnovers to earn their first victory since last October, winning 31-6.

“It’s a big weight off the chest, but hopefully it’s just the start for us,” said Eagles sixth-year head coach Mike Vargas. “The worst thing you can do on a losing streak is doubt your teammates, and this showed me they’re not doubting each other.”

The loss makes Richmond High 0-3 to start their season and is the team’s 10th straight defeat dating back over a year.

 

Mental mistakes and failure to execute would be the deciding factor for Richmond High coming up short.

“We just didn’t make plays,” said Oilers third-year head coach Marques Arnold.

Getting the ball to start, Richmond High drove down deep into Eagles territory but could not score before being stopped on third down and having a field goal attempt partially blocked.

On the ensuing possession for George Washington High, an Oilers defender dropped a third down interception before the Eagles lined up to punt. A proceeding fumbled snap could not be recovered by Richmond High and the Eagles got the kick away.

The Oilers notched a touchdown — their first points of the season — on a first quarter run of about 20 yards from senior quarterback Josue Prado. That would be the game’s only scoring for Richmond High, as they were unsuccessful on the resulting two-point conversion and never got close to the end zone thereafter.

 

Richmond kept momentum In the second frame with a recovered onside kick and a defensive stop on fourth down. 

On offense at their own goal line as halftime neared, the Oilers kneeled the ball to seemingly run out time, but George Washington High still had a timeout and stopped the clock from running. In a unique decision, the Oilers elected to kneel again and take a safety instead of punting, making the score 6-2. 

A taste of points seemed to jumpstart the Eagles, who came out of the locker room and controlled the remainder of the game.

“Special teams and defense stepped up really big for us in the second half,” said Vargas.

 

To begin the third quarter, George Washington High quickly took the lead on a touchdown gallop from junior running back Henry Sanchez. The following kickoff was significantly affected by strong winds, causing it to hit an unprepared Oilers player before being recovered by the Eagles.

Turning the turnover into points, George Washington High junior quarterback Roy Mertz tossed a touchdown about 20 yards to junior wide receiver Samuel Robinson in the back endzone corner.

Richmond High again fumbled the ensuing wind-blown kickoff for a turnover, and the Eagles again punched it in for a touchdown through the air. This time, Mertz only needed one play and connected with wide receiver Calen Estouque.

The Oilers then fumbled a third straight kickoff return but managed to come up with the ball and avert being scored on four consecutive times without an offensive snap in between.

 

“Fumbling those kickoff returns changed the game,” Arnold said. “We would have been toe-to-toe with them.”

George Washington High nevertheless reached the end zone again shortly after on a short fourth quarter touchdown run by senior running back Jordan Chau, growing the Eagles’ lead to 21.

Vargas was still not satisfied.

“We could be a strong team, but it doesn’t help if we’re only strong in the second half,” he said. “We want to start fast, and we’re going to use this as a learning point. I want them to stay hungry and strive for more.”

 

Richmond High would be tackled twice more in the endzone, bringing their total of safeties in the game to three and the score to 31-6, where it remained.

Arnold said his assistant coaches being absent due to sickness, leaving him alone to lead the team, contributed to their struggles.

“I was coaching by myself,” he said. “It was hard for me to make adjustments because I was coaching both sides of the ball.”

 

Defense had been a strong suit for the Oilers, whose first two defeats were by just one possession. The 29 points surrendered after halftime came after giving up only 10 total points through their first 10 quarters of the season. 

Contrarily, George Washington High allowed 76 points and had been outscored by 63 in the same timespan.

Richmond High’s three straight losses this season have all come at home, with their only scheduled road game so far being canceled the week before because the referees didn’t show up.

 

After taking on the Eagles for the first time in over 20 years, Richmond High looks to turn things around Friday against Ygnacio Valley High, whom the Oilers haven’t played since 2004. The Wolves come into Richmond having won just 2 of their last 37 matchups, giving the Oilers a chance for victory before hitting the road for two consecutive games to begin intra-league play. 

>>>From Our Archives: Richmond High Athletics Down But Not Out<<<

Although Richmond High has not finished with a winning record in league play or overall throughout the last two decades and has only two victories in their last 31 games, Arnold says he is optimistic about the team’s future.

“This program is building,” he said. “It had folded when I took over two years ago — now, we have over 60 kids.”