DP's Anthony Spiritosanto runs for a gain against Canyon. Spiritosanto had 60 yards on the ground for the night. (Photo by Vince Agapito)
It’s all about looking forward for the Dos Pueblos football team. There is a Channel League title to defend after all.
The Chargers ended a tough pre-league schedule Thursday night against powerful Canyon Country Canyon and they were crushed 42-0 at Scott O’Leary Stadium. The defeat leaves them with an 0-6 record going into league play next week.
“We have a lot of work to do,” said a somber DP coach Jeff Uyesaka.
Yards were hard to come by on Thursday for DP, although this pass was completed for a short gain against Canyon Country.
The Chargers kept the game scoreless in the first quarter, but with their offense sputtering it was only a matter of time before the Cowboys (5-0), the No. 2-ranked team in the CIF Northern Division, took command and started putting points on the scoreboard.
“In the first quarter, we thought, ‘Hey, shoot, we could hang with these guys,” Uyesaka said. “Then, we were a non-factor on offense. We just can’t be productive. We don’t drive anybody off the line of scrimmage. We have one play work for 10 yards and then one for minus one.”
Dos Pueblos totaled just 101 yards in offense while Canyon piled up 443 yards.
Adding to the Chargers’ offensive woes was an injury to star running back Josh Bartley. Uyesaka said Bartley tweaked his hamstring.
“It’s raining on our party right now,” said Uyesaka.
Canyon’s trio of offensive stars — quarterback Jonathan Jerozal, receiver Drew Wolitarsky and running back Max Archuleta — lived up to their pre-game hype and were too much for the Charger to handle.
Jerozal shredded DP’s defense for 305 passing yards and four touchdowns. Wolitarsky caught eight passes for 144 yards and a score and Archuleta rushed for 70 yards on 12 carries and scored a touchdown.
Jerozal got the Cowboys on the board early in the second quarter with a 4-yard pass to Brenden Stach. The touchdown capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive.
DP’s Nico Bornand boomed a 52-yard punt to put Canyon on its 24. But Jerozal quickly moved the Cowboys up the field. On first down, he combined with Zane Patterson for a 33-yard play, and four plays later he took off for a 20-yard gain to the Charger 10. Archuleta followed the right side of his offensive line for a 10-yard touchdown run with 6:59 to go in the second quarter.
Jerozal hit Stach on a 20-yard slant for the Cowboys’ third touchdown of the second quarter with 1:08 left until halftime.
Canyon put the game away with three scores in the third quarter. Jerozal scored on a 4-yard run, connected with Wolitarsky on a 63-yard bomb and hit Coley Apsay on a 9-yard scoring strike.
The Chargers got something going in the fourth quarter, but the drive ended with a missed field goal from 38 yards.
“The preseason is over, thank goodness,” Uyesaka said. “I didn’t think it would be this rough, not in my wildest dreams. These are good kids, they know how to play football. I think we’re very inexperienced and it’s just crushed our team.”
