Stallions get showdown win
The Madera South Stallions handed their crosstown rivals their final loss of the season with a 49-35 victory Friday to capture the bandsaw trophy after winning the Stadium Road Showdown for the second year in a row.
The Stallions fed off their bigger and louder crowd while the Madera Coyotes received the opening kickoff and played of the best games of the season.
The Coyotes attempted to run a hurry-up style offense that only lasted for three plays before Madera punted the ball away.
On the Stallions’ opening drive, quarterback Jonah Johnson moved his team 69 yards on just four plays to take a 7-0 lead.
Three plays later, Coyotes running back Adrian Wilson took a brutal shot that resulted in a fumbled handoff, recovered by the Stallions.
Coyote linebacker Justin Landero chased Johnson down several times throughout the contest and on a third down, brought him down behind the line of scrimmage, which ended with a Stallion turnover on downs.
Junior defensive tackle Josiah Morales attributed Landero with the one Coyote would he could rely on to give the team juice when they needed it most. “The guy is just a natural leader,” Morales said. “He goes hard every play and never lets up. Whenever he gets a big hit practice everyone gets pumped up.”
Coyote place kicker Juan Daza knocked in a 24-yard field goal with just under six minutes left in the opening quarter for a 7-3 Madera South lead.
However, Madera’s inconsistence on defense and an inability to stop the big plays haunted them the rest of the first half.
Stallions running back Jacob Kirkpatrick took an inside handoff up the middle for a 50-yard touchdown and gave Madera South a 14-3 lead.
With junior quarterback Jerry Hernandez, the Coyotes moved the ball effectively, but hadn’t been able to secure the ball. Hernandez led the offense more than half the length of the field, acquiring five first downs before a holding penalty and two incomplete passes led to a turnover on downs at the Stallions’ 30-yard line.
In the closing minutes of the first half, Kirkpatrick and Johnson both ran in touchdowns to increase the lead to 28-3.
The first Coyote touchdown came from a sweep to the right side by Wilson from 11 yards out, cutting the lead to 18.
With 47.7 seconds left in the half, Hernandez completed his best pass all season to the left-corner of the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown to Wilson. Unfortunately, the 28-17 Stallion lead would grow within those 47 seconds.
Johnson completed a pass to Kirkpatrick for 35 yards for a 35-17 lead at the half.
Johnson ran in another touchdown before the Coyotes would score again.
On Madera’s opening possession of the second half, Hernandez found senior wide receiver Michael Green in the end zone for a nine-yard score.
Trailing 41-23, the Coyotes gave up another Johnson passing touchdown.
The Coyotes tried to make a game out of it, but two Hernandez passing touchdowns only put them within 14 points of a time before time expired.
