 | | | Niki Moore (44) Photos Gint Federas | | | | | | The fans were still pouring into Bob Wilson Stadium when junior Kannah Cruickshank hauled in the opening kickoff and ran the ball back 97 yards to give Campolindo an immediate 7-0 lead. It was a lead that the home team wouldn't hand back.
"There's a lot of levels of sweetness to this victory," head coach Kevin Macy said after Campo (8-1 overall, 5-0 DFAL) thumped Miramonte (8-1 overall, 4-1 DFAL) 37-0 on Oct. 30.
With the decisive win, the Cougars are now guaranteed at least a share of the DFAL title for the fifth consecutive season and have now ripped off 29 consecutive league wins - including five in a row over the Mats.
Even though the Cougars are the reigning Division III state champions, Macy loves to position his squad as the underdogs.
"We're a bunch of no-name kids," Macy said. "But they play as a team and that's all we can ask for."
In the beatdown of their neighbors, the Cougars literally were no-names, taking the field in uniforms that only had numbers on the back. Afterward, Macy insisted that there was no symbolic meaning behind the team's attire.
"We have these red jerseys that we only pull out once a year for special games. So, every year the jerseys just get passed down to another group of kids," Macy said. "That's why there's no names. But, maybe you're right. Maybe it was perfect."
Of all the nameless players in red, it was the secondary that stole the show. The Cougars intercepted four passes from Miramonte junior signal-caller Tim Tague, who had uncorked just four picks all season entering the night.
"We've just got smart kids. In the secondary, you need smart kids," Macy said. "And I think they were ready. These kids, they wanted their chance to take on this high-power(ed) offense."
Campo didn't just take on the high-powered attack - they took it apart.
Before getting dismantled by the Cougars, Miramonte had averaged 45 points per game. Against their local rivals, the Mats didn't have any answers for Campo's swarming defense. It didn't help that Tague lost his top target in the first quarter when senior wide receiver Sutter Lindberg left the game with a knee injury.
While Miramonte's air attack was stalled out, Campo's running game was relentless. Running back Niki Moore ran for 99 yards on 18 carries and Jack Cassidy chipped in two rushing touchdowns.
Even though Miramonte was on the wrong side of the scoreline, head coach Jack Schram offered praise for his defense.
"They only got one touchdown where they drove the ball on us. Our defense did an outstanding job," Schram said. "The kick return and the bad field position because we didn't convert the fourth down (really hurt us)."
With three minutes to go in the second quarter, the Mats made the ill-fated decision to go for it on fourth down. The Mats ended up turning the ball over to Campo on their own 34-yard line and the home team promptly punched in a touchdown to make it 23-0.
The rout of Miramonte was more than just another win for the Cougars who remain undefeated in DFAL.
"At this point, this was our championship game for the year. Especially because it's been a long year of everybody in the league wanting to knock us off," Macy said. "They looked at us as wounded prey this year after losing all our big-name kids. So, it's been a long, grueling year for this group."
|
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA