Senior running back Jordan Nunnery and the Rio Mesa defense served notice in the team’s season opener, routing visiting San Marcos 44-7 Friday.
Coach Bob Gregorchuk¹s Spartans thoroughly dominated both sides of the line of scrimmage, making 17 first downs to the Royals¹ 1 and out-gaining them 369-82.
Rio Mesa¹s blitz package was especially effective, allowing Mitchell Haerterich and company to put pressure on the San Marcos quarterbacks throughout, limiting the Royals to just one completion in 11 attempts.
“Our defense really played tough, hard-nosed football tonight,” said Gregorchuk. “I was especially impressed with how we were hitting.”
Senior tailback Jordan Nunnery (10 runs for 130 yards) paced Rio Mesa¹s offense, scoring three touchdowns in the game¹s first 16 minutes.
His first, an electrifying 65-yard punt return, came before the seats were warm: just 41 seconds into the game.
His second was a 39-yard scamper up the middle, capping a 78-yard, 3-minute-drive that included double-digit gains by fullback Tanner Wrout, who, when he wasn¹t throwing devastating blocks for Nunnery, had an impressive game with the ball himself, finishing with 116 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries.
A 41-yard punt return by Riley Fagan set up Nunnery¹s third TD on a 4-yard sweep.
The Spartans increased the lead to 30-0 by half on a safety by Haerterich and a 32-yard TD run by Wrout on which he bounced off two would-be tacklers at the line before heading to the left sideline where he straight-armed one pursuing defensive back and carried another into the end zone.
San Marcos scored its only touchdown of the night midway through the third quarter on a 68-yard pass play from back-up quarterback Wes Ghan-Gibson to Andrew Thayer.
Rio Mesa answered with an 80-yard drive and a three-yard TD plunge by Martel Tyler.
Play was suspended briefly while medical personnel attended to San Marcos senior linebacker Noah Zimmerman, who collapsed and was transported to the hospital.
San Marcos…0 0 7 0 — 7
Rio Mesa…14 16 14 0 — 44
First quarter
RM: J Nunnery 65-yard punt return, Dominguez kick (11:19)
FM: J Nunnery 39 run, Dominguez kick (2:39)
Second quarter
RM: J Nunnery 4 run, Dominguez kick (7:55)
RM: Haerterich safety
RM: Wrout 32 run, Dominguez kick (0:49)
Third quarter
RM: Wrout 8 run, Dominguez kick (7:48)
SM: Thayer 68 pass from Ghan-Gibson, Lopez kick (4:13)
RM: Tyler 3 run, Gonzalez kick (0:00)
SM RM
First Downs 1 17
Rushes-Yards 18-14 37-335
Passing Yards 68 33
Total Yards 82 368
Comp-Att-Int 1-11-0 4-7-0
Punts-Avg. 6-31.0 2-32.0
Fumbles-Lost 3-0 4-1
Sacks-Yards lost 1-8 0-0
Penalties-Yards 5-55 8-80
Turnovers 0 0
Team Records 0-2 1-0
Individual statistics
RUSHING – SM: Glover 10-19, Osborne 7-3, Loza 1- (minus) 8. RM: McNair 2-11, J Nunnery 10-130, Wrout 13-116, D Nunnery 4-39, Thornton 2-3, Tyler 5-18, Espinoza 3-22
PASSING SM: Loza 0-9-0, Ghan-Gibson 1-2-68. RM: McNair 2-4-11, Thornton 2-3-22
RECEIVING – SM: Thayer 1-68. R
