Gauchos vs Cavaliers? Like a replay of the Argentinean revolution? Armed Horsemen vs. South American Cowboys? Well, it wasn't pretty.
This will be coming late, but for anyone who hasn't heard, the South American Cowboys beat the Cavaliers 22 - 9. A game that was in doubt for about 42 of 48 minutes. It wasn't pretty.
The Gauchos seem to be a good team, but classless; taunting, trash talking, bring-their-ownselves-down, street kids. The Cavaliers seem to be a good team, but they were either outmatched (slightly) or they just couldn't reach down and get it done. The game was not classic.
But if they weren't classy, the Gauchos did beat us Cavaliers fair and square. The Gauchos overcame their simple, immature penalties; the Cavs did not. The Gauchos converted at least two turnovers; the Cavs couldn't take advantage of the turnovers that came their way.
It was a disappointing Cavalier night, but just the same, the Cavs were not beaten, they were outplayed. They could have won. On other nights they will win. This may have been a learning moment.
The Cavs kicked off at seven o'clock. The Gauchos marched down the field in eleven plays, despite two penalties, and scored on a perfect 24-yard pass play. The point after went wrong, so Serra had an opportunity. Narbonne 6, Serra 0 with 8:30 remaining in the first quarter. The Cavs appeared to be stage struck, but not ready for a 56-0 whopping.
The Gauchos kicked the ball just over the goal line precluding any fancy run-backs. The Cavs moved the ball well and seemed to be the Gauchos equal until they were called for a false start. Everything fizzled, and the Cavs had to punt at 4:57 in the first quarter.
The Serra defense had a great series after the punt, forcing an intentional grounding call, and sending the Gauchos out after three meaningless downs. Narbonne's punt was very effective; however, Cavs found themselves starting their second offensive series at their own 27.
Serra marched up the field again, aided in a big way by the one and only unsportsmanlike call against the very unsportsmanlike Gauchos. But when push came to shove the Cavs couldn't get it done, and so they were punting again at 1:21.
Narbonne fumbled the ball right into Serra's path on its first offensive play, but the Cavs were more interested in picking the rock up and scoring than in securing the turnover. Narbonne recovered, and a unique chance was lost. But big as it was, that was Narbonne's only victory on that series, the quarter ended on a false start call as Narbonne tried to punt. [The officiating on that call is inexplicable. We all make dufus mistakes, don't we?]
Serra's first series of the second quarter was the only time all night that Serra managed to overcome its own mistakes. Despite a crucial holding call against the Cavs, the Cavs scored their one and only touchdown of the night on a beautiful Greene pass that found Darrell Furey by himself in the southwest corner of the end zone. The point after was good, Serra went ahead 7-6, the first time in the 2012-13 season that the Gauchos trailed.
But it was not to last. Just as in last year's game, Serra could not hold a lead against the Gauchos, the Southern Hemisphere cowboys held the ball for the next six minutes. Overcoming some fine defensive plays from Serra, and a couple of penalties, the Gauchos started at their own fifteen and in fifteen plays, invaded the Cavalier endzone. Point after good, Narbonne 13 - Serra 7.
And that's where it stood at half time.
Serra had only one chance to run back a kickoff and that resulted in starting at Serra's own fifteen.
The second half kickoff -- Narbonne to Serra -- like all but one of Narbonne's kickoff carried into the endzone. Serra started at its own 20.
Would it be Notre Dame all over again? No. Serra mounted a thirteen play drive. It could not break the big, Serra-style spectacular, but there were little five and six-yard hints that the patented Serra lightning was just under the hood. Twelve plays...tough, resolute play frustrating a good defense, and Serra was at the Narbonne 16. One touchdown still the difference. Fourth and one, and this was one of the three turning points.
Jalen Greene took the ball from the tee formation, it was immediately apparent that Narbonne had keyed on him. This was the moment that turned the Long Beach Poly game around -- when Greene, initially stopped at the line of scrimmage raced around the Rabbits for forty yards. But on Friday night Greene tried with all his might for that one yard, and the Gauchos had him hog tied and horsewhipped. Turn over on downs. 7:05 remaining in the third quarter.
The Gauchos took over and again marched against a very tough Serra defense, yard, by contested yard. After eight plays, Narbonne was first and goal at the Serra nine. But the never-say-die Serra defense of 2012-13 stood its ground in the face of the inevitable, yet again, and forced a field goal. Alas, the Gaucho's on-again, off-again kicking game was on. Narbonne 16-Serra 7 with 4:08 remaining in the third. Plenty of time whispered the Cavalier faithful.
Nothing happened in the remainder of the third quarter. Both defense playing very well.
Through the first six minutes of the fourth quarter, Serra continued to keep hope alive. There was a goal line pass interference call that the officials waved off without the fans ever understanding what happened. With 8:17 remaining in the fourth, Serra got the ball on a punt. Serra was moving well, when possibly the best run of the night ended in disaster. Narbonne punched the ball out of Marques Rodgers' hands at the sideline. The Gaucho safety fielded the ball in the air and ran sixty yards to put the game out of reach despite Anterio Bateman's diving effort to bring him down at the ten.
The game was over. Narbonne conceded two points when the Serra defense had them bottled in near their goal line. Better the safety and a free kick than a blocked punt or a runback.
It was not Serra's best night, but it might have contributed to a future better night. Serra played tough on defense and just as hard on offense all night. The Cavs were outplayed, not outmanned.
Taking nothing from the Gauchos, who well and truly, won the game. Serra was a match for them. And may get even better from the experience.
MaxPreps - Serra Football - Varsity (Schedule, Roster, Photos and Stats)
MaxPreps - Rankings
Daily Breeze - Weekly Schedule
Daily Breeze - Narbonne backs up talk in showdown win over Serra
Los Angeles Times - This weeks Times' High School Football Rankings
