02 Oct Friday Night Light Delay: De Anza Football Loses Fifth Straight Home Game

The Dons were visibly frustrated on the sidelines after multiple opportunities were squandered on offense.

Story and photos by Joe Porrello

A 30-minute delay, a barrage of injuries, an on-field scuffle, ejections, and even some football. That was the scene Friday night in Richmond at De Anza High.

The Dons varsity football team hosted the St Patrick-St. Vincent High Bruins, who won 28-6 and handed De Anza High their fourth consecutive loss at home this season. 

 

The Bruins prevailed with a balanced attack featuring a pair of touchdowns in each half, all rushed in by different players. Numerous failed attempts near the goal line doomed De Anza High.

“We had the ball within the five yard line twice, we needed to punch in those opportunities because that changed the momentum,” said Dons head coach Malik Zaid.

 

Following a fast Bruins opening drive —  punctuated by a goal line collision that caused a fumble and was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown —  the game was paused for half an hour because the field lights were not on. 

“The lights thing was crazy,” Zaid said. “Something was going on with the breaker box, but the custodians came in and figured it out.”

When play resumed, De Anza’s first drive ended with senior quarterback Jayden West throwing a pass that was intercepted by the Bruins on fourth down. It was West’s only turnover of the game; he finished with 69 yards through the air, completing half of his 16 pass attempts.

Senior St. Patrick-St. Vincent quarterback Trevor Moelk also completed eight of 16 but had more than double West’s passing yards with 150 — and 62 more rushing yards. Neither scored a touchdown.

The Dons immediately answered back with an interception of their own when junior De Anza High defender Jason Miles picked off a pass from Moelk in the end zone. On offense at wide receiver, Miles led the Dons in pass receptions with three.

 

To start the second quarter, De Anza was stopped at the goal line on fourth down after being inches away from crossing the plane twice. The Dons sideline voiced their frustration to officials, saying the ball reached the end zone on both occasions.

“The refs are doing the best they can,” Zaid said. “They can’t see everything.”

Finally breaking into the scoring column on their next offensive possession, Dons senior running back Jozhon Stallworth’s long rushing touchdown and a successful two-point conversion gave De Anza High a one-point edge. Stallworth led the game with 215 all-purpose yards: 18 carries for 201 yards and two receptions for 14 yards.

 

The lead would be short lived for De Anza High, who did not score again and promptly surrendered another touchdown — run in by Bruins junior running back Tyree Johnson.

Draining eight minutes of game clock on one third quarter drive, the Dons came up empty after another turnover on downs at the goal line. 

An intercepted pass from Moelk by Dons senior defender Michael Smith — who also had a blocked extra point — gave De Anza High a chance down just five points, but they were forced to punt.

 

St. Patrick-St. Vincent High capitalized by scoring two fourth touchdowns on consecutive drives to put the game out of reach. The first score came courtesy of an over the shoulder diving catch near the end zone by senior Drew Christensen, who finished with game highs of four catches and 80 yards. The second was plowed in by senior running back Marshall Obenchain, who finished with a game high 22 carries and 92 yards.

A Dons player was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct during the last possession after getting in the face of an opponent following the play.

 

On the last play of the game, a Don was taken to the ground after the whistle blew and remained on the turf with an injury. It was one of several injuries for both teams, which combined with the light delay, caused the game to take about three hours.

“We had a couple of key injuries with some starters,” said Zaid.

While the Dons player lay hurt, his father rushed onto the field, visibly upset, and began yelling and cursing at the opposing sideline. When De Anza staff tried to calm him down, the situation escalated into others yelling at and shoving each other before the parent was escorted off the field.

 

“The situation just got out of control. People have to control their emotions and understand this is football — kids are going to get hurt, and you can’t panic when your child is on the ground,” said Zaid. “They’re not babies anymore.”

The teams did not line up to shake hands after the debacle.

 

It was St. Patrick-St. Vincent High’s first win against the Dons since 2018. De Anza High had bested the Bruins in their previous two meetings, the last of which came in 2021. 

Both squads lost three of their first four games this season, the Dons by an average score of 30; the Bruins, 28. 

St. Patrick-St. Vincent High broke a streak of six consecutive road losses, with their last win coming Oct. 6, 2023, against Richmond High. They will play in Richmond again next week, as they faceoff with undefeated Salesian College Preparatory High (4-0) on Oct. 5.

Conversely, it was the Dons fifth straight home defeat dating back to Oct. 5 of last year against Hercules High — their only win at De Anza High in the last two seasons. Next, they begin their Tri-County-Rock League slate and travel to battle the Spartans (2-2) at Pinole Valley High on Oct. 11. 

“We’ll be all right. We just have to play through it and get ready for league play,” said Zaid. “These guys have to buckle down and play for each other.”