Redwood Tackle Football Suffers First Loss in Valiant Battle Against Tulare Western 34-28

On Friday, October 9th, the Rangers suffered their first loss of the season in a battle of the undefeateds against Tulare Western.

By Fabian Anguiano

The ball was set on the tee, ready to be kicked off. Both student sections waited impatiently for arguably the game of the year to begin.

First Quarter

The Mustang kicker would get set and attempt an onside kick, catching the Rangers off guard, which would result in the Mustangs recovering and claiming possession; this would set the tone in a game that was intense before the first snap even occurred.

The Mustangs would possess the ball around the fifty and would run the ball progressively, with standout running back Isaiah Gomez ’30, finding holes and gaps for explosive runs; the drive would ultimately end with Gomez plowing into the end zone for six.

The Mustangs would line up for the extra point, and it would be blocked, making the score 6-0 early in the game.

The Rangers would receive the ball and would get to start their drive around the fifty-yard line due to a penalty committed by the Mustangs during the kickoff.

The Rangers would respond with a big play to respond with an end around to star wide receiver Jarius Brooks ‘28, striding down the sideline until getting pushed out of bounds by a Mustang defender at the five-yard line, giving the Rangers much-needed momentum.

After two attempted rushes by running back Qur’An Goodman ‘29, which were stuffed by the Mustang defensive line, quarterback Nash McElree ‘27, would keep it himself on third down and ran it in for the Rangers’ first points of the night; kicker Josgar Guerrero would nail the extra point, giving the Rangers a 7-6 lead early.

The Mustangs would get the ball back, and the Rangers’ defensive line would stiffen up a little bit more, stuffing Gomez at the line multiple times, and that’s when star Mustang quarterback Juju Hernandez ’27, would start making plays through the air and on the ground, completing passes to numerous receivers as well as showcasing his impressive scrambling ability.

The Mustangs would pound the ball inside the red zone, ultimately getting to the one-yard line on third down. They would hand the ball to Gomez, who would reach out and score his second rushing touchdown of the game. They would make the extra point, retaking the lead 13-7.

The Rangers would get the ball back and would continue to attempt to run the ball with Goodman, which would lead to him getting stuffed on numerous occasions, alongside one exceptional explosive run that would get the Rangers into Mustang territory.

Quarterback Nash McElree would showcase his rushing skills, keeping plays alive by running for first down and keeping the Rangers’ rhythm and momentum going.

The Rangers would find themselves in a third-and-goal situation once again from around the seven-yard line. McElree would have no running backs lined up behind him, and would find wide receiver Steven Malgarejo ‘30, in the back of the end zone for six. Guerrero would nail the extra point, giving the Rangers back the lead 14-13.

This would mark the end of an offensive first quarter.

Second Quarter

The second quarter wouldn’t be as high-scoring, with both defenses beginning to stiffen up a little bit more, with Tulare Western developing pressure, forcing McElree out of the pocket, forcing incomplete passes, and a sack on one occasion.

The Mustangs would ultimately take the lead once again, with the Mustangs driving down the field with their rushing and passing attack, ultimately ending with quarterback Juju Hernandez ’28, running into the end zone to retake the lead.

The half would end with the Mustangs leading 20-14, marking the end of more defensive second quarter.

Third Quarter

The Mustangs would receive the first-half kickoff and would continue their rushing attack with Gomez continuing to find gaping holes, ultimately leading to explosive runs and first downs.

The Mustangs would run into a crucial third down with Hernandez attempting a pass from the shotgun, which would ultimately get denied by a Ranger defender before the Mustang receiver could turn around; the Mustangs would deliver the first punt of the night for either team.

The Rangers would get the ball back, and they proceeded to make some productive runs with Goodman until ultimately being met with a crucial third down. McElree would throw it over the middle to standout tight end Exavier Jackson ‘30, who would rumble his way past defenders, showcasing his speed and strength for six to give the Rangers the lead once again, making the score 21-20.

The Mustangs would respond with big plays of their own, with Hernandez continuing to showcase his rushing ability, running for a good amount of yardage and finding receivers open on numerous scrambles.

The drive would get capped off with an explosive catch-and-run touchdown by star wide receiver Amarion Taylor ’28. who would blaze past one Ranger defender and would shove another one out of the way to give the Mustangs the lead 27-20 continuing the offensive shootout.

The Rangers would look to respond back, producing solid rush attempts by Goodman once again alongside one by Brooks.

The Rangers would be in rhythm until Mustang linebacker Xavier Marquez ’27, would push past the offensive line for a sack, putting a halt to the Rangers’ momentum.

With the ball being inside the thirty and it being fourth and manageable, the Rangers would elect to go for it. McElree would throw a short fifty-fifty ball across the middle as both the defender and receiver were falling; the defender would ultimately come away with the ball, claiming an interception and giving the Mustangs momentum.

This would mark the end of an action-packed third quarter and would introduce a nail-biting fourth quarter.

Fourth Quarter

The Mustangs would get the ball inside the twenty facing a crucial third down; Hernandez would drop back out of the shotgun and would throw a beautiful pass to none other than Amarian Taylor, once again giving the Mustangs a two-possession lead, 34-21.

With the Rangers being down by two possessions, they would start producing consistent plays with short passes and run plays, ultimately leading them into Mustang territory, regaining momentum with every yard they gained.

The Rangers would cap off the drive with a touchdown thrown by McElree to wide receiver Drayton Hall ‘27, snatching the momentum right back; the score would now be 34-28 with five minutes left in the game.

The Mustangs would get the ball back looking to possibly seal their victory, but the Rangers had other plans as the secondary would deliver a much-needed pass breakup to force a punt; the momentum for the Rangers would grow automatically with hope of a victory becoming more and more possible.

The Rangers would get the ball at around their own thirty-yard line; the Mustangs would force pressure, forcing McElree to scramble to his left, and when it looked like McElree would run out of bounds, he would float the ball to Exavier Jackson once again, who would rumble between two defenders rumbling all the way inside the ten-yard line.

The Rangers would attempt to pound the ball two times with Goodman and would find little to no success, being stuffed at the line of scrimmage both times.

With it being third down, McElree would throw the ball Exavier Jackson’s way on a jump pass, which would deflect off the fingertips of Jackson on a physical one-on-one matchup.

The Rangers would line up facing fourth down, an empty set in the backfield with McElree being the only one behind the center; McElree would drop back and would throw the ball in the back of the endzone to a wide-open Drayton Hall, which would slip out of his hands, resulting in a turnover on downs.

The Mustangs would end up going three-and-out, primarily focusing on draining the clock, resulting in the Rangers having to burn all three timeouts; the punt would sail out of bounds around the 45-yard line to avoid any kick returns.

With twenty seconds, the Rangers would look for a miracle, heaving two passes towards the middle of the field, which would end up being incomplete.

With five seconds left, McElree would dance around in the pocket and would throw the ball across the middle of the field, which would result in an incomplete pass. The Rangers would lose in a thriller in the battle of the undefeateds.

The Rangers would fall to 6-1, and the Mustangs would extend their win streak to seven. The Rangers are now 1-1 against league opponents and are now second place in EYL.

Player Spotlight

Redwood: Tight end Exavier Jackson ’30, had six total receptions for 151 yards and a touchdown. Jackson has seven total receiving touchdowns on the season, as well as 493 receiving yards. Jackson is averaging 70.4 receiving yards per game.

Tulare Western: Quarterback Juju Hernandez ’28, would go 22/34 for 246 yards and two passing touchdowns. Hernandez now has the school record for passing touchdowns with 39 on the season. He has the third most passing yards in the nation with 2,908, seventh in the nation in total yards with 3008, and is first in California in passing yards.

The Rangers next opponent will be away at Hanford on Thursday, October 15th with kickoff being at 7:30 pm.

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