Junior quarterback Max Leffler ran for three touchdowns and threw for two more Friday night, leading Grace Brethren to a 46-10 nonleague football win over Bishop Diego at SBCC’s La Playa Stadium.
The Lancers (3-3) got on the board first when Sam Porrazzo blocked Kyle Holland’s punt in the end zone on the first series of the game. Jared Landseadel recovered in the end zone, giving Grace a 6-0 lead. Nic Mon stuffed a run try on the 2-point PAT.
The visitors from Simi Valley didn’t have a kicker so they went for it on every fourth down and tried 2-point PATs after each touchdown. They were 5-for-7 on fourth downs and 2-for-7 on 2-point attempts.
The Cardinals (0-5) responded with a 65-yard drive in seven plays, capped by a 6-yard scoring run by Paul Garcia. Two plays later, Garrett Garcia made the first of his two interceptions, giving Bishop the ball on the Lancers’ 9-yard line.
GRACE BRETHREN-BISHOP DIEGO PHOTO GALLERY
Bishop managed just six yards in three plays, however, and settled for a 20-yard field goal by Michael Morando and a 10-6 lead with 4:53 to go in the first quarter.
It was all Grace Brethren after that as the Lancers scored 40 unanswered points. Grace marched 72 yards and Patrick Schaefer scored from two yards out on the first play of the second quarter. The visitors went on to score 20 points in the period, boosting the halftime lead to 26-10.
“I don’t even know what to say,” said Cardinals coach Tom Crawford. “Our kids worked hard during the bye week and we had our full allotment for the first time this season. In that regard, it’s disappointing to come out and lay an egg.”
The Lancers took the second-half kickoff and went 75 yards in five plays. Leffler had a 56-yard completion to Jack Gilliland and capped the scoring drive with an 18-yard toss to Zech Hogan. Bishop lost a fumble two plays later and the Lancers marched 54 yards, capped by a 6-yard quarterback draw by Leffler that made it 40-10.
Leffler completed 17-of-30 passes for 248 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Gilliland, a 5-9, 144-pound sophomore, caught six balls for 127 yards, as well as a pair of 2-point PAT passes.
“Leffler is a tremendous athlete, he’s throwing the ball a little bit better on time,” said GB coach Terry Gourley. “On our first touchdown, on the 2-point conversion, he got hit in the leg and had a dead leg for the rest of the game.
“That was only his fourth game at quarterback in his life.”
Grace racked up 405 yards while holding Bishop to 101. Holland, Bishop’s junior QB, completed 7-of-19 passes for 58 yards with two interceptions.
“When we fell behind by a couple of scores, we looked like a team whose air had gone out of the balloon and we couldn’t do anything right after that point,” said Crawford. “It didn’t matter what side of the ball we were on.”
The Cardinals were held to two first downs and 21 yards in the second half.
Garrett Garcia, a 5-11 senior and one of three Garcias on the Bishop roster, intercepted at the Grace 18 on the Lancers’ second play from scrimmage. He also had a third-quarter interception and several tackles for loss.
“He’s one of our captains and he has four or five interceptions on the season,” Crawford said. “He’s been a real bright spot for us. We don’t have a lot of seniors and he’s been a stable kid and a real positive influence.”
Things won’t get any easier for the young Cardinals, who open Tri-Valley League play on Friday at unbeaten Oaks Christian, the No. 1-ranked team in the CIF’s Northwest Division.
“You go out and give your best and try to get better in the experience,” Crawford concluded. “Playing Oaks is like going to the dentist — you don’t cherish the experience but you hope it’s not too painful.”
GRACE BRETHREN 46, BISHOP DIEGO 10
Grace Brethren ……….. 6 20 14 6 — 46
Bishop Diego ………….. 10 0 0 0 — 10
First Quarter
GB — J. Landseadel recovered blocked punt in end zone, 9:42
BD — Garcia 6 run (Morando kick), 6:33
BD — FG Morando 20, 4:53
Second Quarter
GB — P. Schaefer 2 run (run failed), 11:55
GB — Hogan 9 pass from Leffler (Gilliland pass from Leffler), 5:48
GB — Leffler 1 run (pass failed), 1:09
Third Quarter
GB — Hogan 18 pass from Leffler (Gilliland pass from Leffler), 10:34
GB — Leffler 6 run (run failed), 7:09
Fourth Quarter
GB — Leffler 1 run (pass failed), 11:53
First downs 18 7
Rushes-Yards 31-129 23-43
Passing Yards 276 58
Total Yards 405 101
Passes (Comp-Att-Int) 20-35-3 7-19-2
Punts-Avg. 0-0 3-21.0
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 3-1
Penalties-Yards 9-66 11-61
RUSHING–GB: P. Schaefer 14-71, Leffler 10-34, Ellis 1-19, B. Schaefer 4-6, Dobbs 1-0, Team 1-(minus 1). BD: Gonzalez 10-36, Gregson 2-15, P. Garcia 5-12, Bongiovi 1-2, Holland 5-(minus 22).
PASSING–GB: Leffler 17-30-2-248, B. Schaefer 3-5-1-28. BD: Holland 7-19-2-58.
RECEIVING–GB: Gilliland 6-127, Hogan 4-49, Ellis 4-22, Gerlach 2-52, B. Schaefer 2-12, Adihoch 1-12, P. Schaefer 1-2. BD: Gonzalez 4-26, P. Garcia 2-4, G. Garcia 1-28.
RECORDS–GB 3-3. BD 0-5.
