Game Summaries

Varsity JV Frosh

Game Reporter Info

ACCAL Standings

- Campolindo (s) - Newark - O'Dowd - San Lorenzo - Encinal - Berkeley - Pinole -
- Hercules - Richmond - El Cerrito - De Anza - NCS/Ygnacio Valley

|| Team Stats  ||

Campolindo (8/28) 
Hornets vs. Cougars

 

Scrimmage Only - no game summary submitted.

Newark Memorial (9/4) 
Hornets 14, Cougars 20

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Hornet Comeback Falls Short
Eli Nemzer - Alameda Sun

The Alameda Hornets opened up their season Friday with a resilient attitude.

“We’ve worked extremely hard this off-season,” said Junior Quarterback/Safety John Ruck. "We are confident in our abilities and believe we're not another 3-7 team."

Coming off a 3-7, injury-plagued 2008 campaign, the Hornets looked to open the new year on the right foot against Newark Memorial High School Friday evening at Thompson Field. However, the Cougars had other ideas, scoring two touchdowns in the first four minutes of the game and maintaining a 20-0 half-time lead. It took them until midway through the third quarter, but Alameda showed some resiliency, making a fierce comeback but in the end falling short 20-14.

From the first drive of the game, Newark was on the offensive. Three plays in, Sean Guterres broke through the Alameda line and ran for a 65 yard score. The Cougars missed the PAT kick, but only moments later scored again; when Anthony Jackson (15 carries; 117 yards) recovered an Alameda lateral and took it back 30 yards for another score to make it 13-0. With the Hornets offense unable to get going, it was the defense that kept Alameda in the game. Late in the first quarter, after fumbling a punt return deep in their own territory, the Hornet defense stepped up and forced a Newark turnover on downs in the red zone.

Alameda finally put some pressure on the Cougar defense midway through the second quarter, following a series of runs by Michael Cunningham (29 carries; 231 yards) and a short pass from Tom Ruckman to Anthony Waters. However, Ruckman’s pass was intercepted near the Newark goal line. The Cougars proceeded to lead a long drive, culminating with a 1 yard touchdown run by Nick Pohndorf with 47 seconds left in the half.

The Hornets turned it around in the third quarter, thanks in part to the explosiveness of Cunningham, who’s numerous gains set up an 8 yard touchdown run by Jeremy Yu (55 yards). When Newark was forced to punt, Alameda led another scoring drive featuring runs of 20 and 67 yards by Yu and Cunningham, respectively. At the conclusion of the third quarter, Alameda was only one score behind. Alameda’s ground attack was the difference maker in the second half, as the Hornets rushed for 227 total yards.

The fourth quarter was a tale of penalties and missed opportunities for both teams; but especially for the Hornets, who could not get the one big play they needed to pull ahead. Their last shot came with just under two minutes to go, turning the ball over on downs near the Newark 35-yard line.

Alameda’s tough non-league schedule continues next week against HAAL powerhouse Bishop O’Dowd and the following week against cross-town rival and reigning NCS champion Encinal. The Cougars next test is Castro Valley; next Friday at 7 p.m.

Newark  13 7  0 0 — 20

Alameda  0 0 14 0 — 14

 

N - Guteress 65 run (kick failed)

N - Jackson 30 fumble return (Benavente kick)

N - Pohndorf 1 run (Benavente kick)

A - Yu 8 run (Casteneda kick)
A - Cunningham 67 run (Casteneda kick)

Statistics:

Rushing: N — Jackson 15-117, Guterres 7-82, Tobin 2-11, Pohndorf 6-3, Tai 1-1, Flexen 1-0. Totals: 32-214. A — Cunningham 29-231, Yu 11-55, Ruckman 8-31, Bridges 1-(-3), Ruck 1-(-10). Totals: 50-304.

Passing: N — Pohndor 3-5-0 27, Flexen 0-1-0 0. Totals: 3-6-0 27. A — Ruckman 2-5-1 14, Ruck 1-2-0 10. Totals: 3-7-1 24.

Receiving: N — Guterres 1-18, Rael 1-8, Tobin 1-1. A — Yu 1-16, Waters 1-11, Murray 1-3.

Fumbles/Lost: Newark Memorial 1/0, Alameda 2/1.

Records: Newark Memorial 1-0, Alameda 0-1.

O'Dowd (9/11) 
Hornets 28 tie Dragons 28

 

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Goal Line Stand by Hornets Secures Tie
Eli Nemzer - Alameda Sun

Mario Brown ran left, and the Bishop O'Dowd sideline began to erupt. He was brought down near the goal line, the referees converged, and a silence swept over Thompson Field. No touchdown was signaled, and it was Alameda's turn to exult.

It had come down to the final minute, just a yard away from the end zone. Bishop O'Dowd running back Mario Brown, who had broken through the Alameda defense with ease all night had four chances to score. However, when it mattered most, the Hornet defense stepped up; stopping Brown and the Dragons four consecutive times. The dramatic goal line stand ended a wild game in a 28-28 tie.

Coming off a tough loss to Newark last week, the Hornets knew they could not make many mistakes in order to compete with the East Bay powerhouse Dragons.

"We were the underdogs tonight," said Alameda Quarterback Tom Ruckman.

The game started as a defensive stand-off, with neither team able to score in the first quarter. O'Dowd started without Brown, their star Running Back, who was sitting out the first quarter for an undisclosed team issue. The Hornets were hurt by poor special teams play and penalties.

The Hornets finally got going in the second, with Ruckman completing a pass to Qais Shaghasi for a 45 yard gain. However, they were forced to punt. The kick was blocked, giving O'Dowd excellent field position which set up Brown's first score, from 10 yards out. Michael Cunningham (152 yards) answered on Alameda's next drive, breaking through the Dragon's enormous defensive line for a 27 yard score. Brown returned the ensuing kickoff 69 yards, but the clock ran out before O'Dowd could get a play off, sending the teams to the locker room with the score knotted at seven.

O'Dowd started the second half with a bang, as Brown received the kickoff at the 1 yard line and took it back 99 yards for a score. The Hornets answered with a long drive culminating in a four yard pass from Ruckman to Shaghasi. After another long touchdown run by Brown, the Dragons were threatening to put the game out of reach. Alameda was saved by Tim Han, who came up with a huge interception deep in O'Dowd territory.

Alameda drove down field, and Ruckman tied the game at 21 with a five yard touchdown run. However, Mario Brown answered again. The senior weaved through the Hornet defense, breaking numerous tackles in a 60 yard gain. A pass from Matt Balich to T.J. King put the dragons ahead 28-21.

Ruckman tied the game with a 1 yard score with three minutes to play following a big gain by Jeremy Yu, but O'Dowd was relentless. They received great field position, as the Hornets tried a squib kick, having seen enough of Brown and his long returns.

Balich's pass to King brought O'Dowd to the 2 yard line with a minute to go, giving the Dragons four chances to score. Alameda's defense, who until this point had seemingly no answer for Brown came up big three times, and when O'Dowd opted to not kick the field goal, stopped him again, ending the game in a tie and sending the crowd into a frenzy.

"We proved a lot tonight," said Ruckman who ran for two touchdowns in the second half. "We showed teams that we can come out and play with them."

Brown finished with 194 yards on 19 carries and three touchdowns in just three quarters. Alameda is now 0-1-1, and faces winless San Lorenzo next Friday afternoon. The Dragons, 0-0-1, play St. Ignatius.

Bishop O'Dowd 0 7 14  7 — 28

Alameda       0 7  7 14 — 28

 

B — Brown 10 run (Carera kick)

A — Cunningham 27 run (Casteneda kick)

B — Brown 99 kickoff return (Carera kick)

A — Shaghasi 4 pass from Ruckman (Casteneda kick)

B — Brown 53 run (Carera kick)

A — Ruckman 5 run (Casteneda kick)

B — King 20 pass from Balich (Carera kick)

A — Ruckman 1 run (Casteneda kick)

 

Statistics

Rushing: 
B — Brown 19-194, Trammell 10-58, Ward 4-18, Balich 2-(-17). 
Totals 35-253. 
A — Cunningham 25-152, Ruckman 9-71, Yu 6-28, Danh 1-8, Ruck 1-2.
Totals 42-261.

Passing: 
B — Balich 4-9-1 163. 
A — Ruckman 4-8-0 58, Ruck 0-2-0 0. Totals 4-10-0 58.

Receiving: 
B — King 2-53, Ward 2-10. 
A — Shaghasi 2-33, Han 1-22, Waters 1-3.

Fumbles/lost: 
Bishop O'Dowd 0/0
Alameda 0/0

Records: Bishop O'Dowd 0-0-1, Alameda 0-1-1

San Lorenzo (9/18) 
Hornets 20, Rebels 0

 

Hornets Pitch a Shutout
By Phil Jensen - Oakland Tribune

The visiting Hornets (1-1-1) scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to break open a close game.

Entering the final quarter, Alameda had only reached the red zone once, but converted that opportunity into six points with a Mike Cunningham II 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. That was also the only score of the game entering the final period.

But Alameda ended a 12-play, 58-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run by quarterback Tom Ruckman with 8:10 remaining. A two-point conversion run by Cunningham II made the score 14-0.

The Hornets also nearly five minutes off the clock on a 11-play, 80-yard drive later in the quarter. A 4-yard run by Cunningham II with 1:47 left made the score 20-0.

Cunningham rushed for 65 of his game-high 111 yards rushing in the fourth quarter on 10 carries. San Lorenzo (0-2) was paced in rushing by Reyshawn Galvan (12 rushes, 70 yards).

Encinal (9/25) 
Hornets 16, Jets 34

 

< Trib Article >

Island Bowl Recap
By Eli Nemzer - Alameda Sun
09/25/2009

Tony Nix started the 55th annual Island Bowl with a bang, returning the opening kickoff 98 yards, and the Encinal Jets never looked back. The Jets scored on the first play from scrimmage, and built a 34-3 lead until late in the fourth quarter. Alameda made a comeback, but it was too little too late as the Jets rolled over the Hornets 34-16.

The Hornets were unable to get anything going in the first half, as they were hurt by numerous penalties and they missed opportunities in the red zone. After Encinal's opening score, Alameda led a long drive on a series of runs by Michael Cunningham, who came into the game second in the ACCAL in rushing yards, but were forced to punt. The Jets quickly capitalized again, as a long run by Jonathan Allen set up a short touchdown by Tyrone Duckett from 9 yards out.

Down 13-0, Alameda answered with a 27 yard field goal by Edgar Casteneda as time expired in the first quarter.

Encinal built a 20-3 half-time lead on a touchdown run by Kimani Washington after a big gain by Washington St. bound quarterback Duckett, who finished with 89 passing yards and 48 rushing yards.

Encinal kept rolling in the second half. Paul Okamura blew past the Hornet's weakened secondary and caught a 65 yard pass from Duckett for a score. Alameda lost Safety John Ruck in their win over San Lorenzo for the remainder of the season due to a broken elbow. A few plays later, Matt Meno made it 34-3 with a 41 yard score.

The Hornets, who have consistently played their best in the fourth quarter this year, did not relent. Tom Ruckman found Qais Shaghasi from 29 yards out with five minutes to play, and then Keith Murray from 4 yards out in the final minute.

The win is Encinal's third straight Island Bowl victory, following a five game Alameda winning streak from 2002-2006. Alameda now leads the all-time Island Bowl standings 30-23-2.

The Hornets has another tough test next week, as they take on undefeated league rival Berkeley High, fresh off a victory over highly-ranked Pittsburgh. Encinal goes to Albany to take on the 1-2 Cougars.

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Encinal flies by Alameda
By Matt Smith - Oakland Trib
09/25/2009

What is a good way to get fired up after a loss that snaps your 14-game losing streak?

Facing your cross-town rival is one way.

That is exactly what the Encinal High football team did, squaring off with rival Alameda in the 56th version of the Island Bowl.

The Jets, whose loss to Serra last week was their first since 2007, set the tone early on Friday night in a 34-16 win.

"It feels real good to win this game," Encinal coach Joe Tenorio said.

"We gave up some points late in the game, but all that matters is that we won."

The Jets (2-1) built a 34-3 lead midway through the fourth quarter and were flying from the opening kickoff when Tony Nix returned the opening kickoff 100 yards, all the way to the Hornet 1-yard line.

Jonathan Allen took it from there as the Jets were up 7-0 after one offensive play.

"That was big for us," Tenorio said. "We know we have good athletes on our special teams and we thought we could pop a big return on them and we did that right out of the gate."

With touchdown runs by Tyrone Duckett and Kimani Washington, Encinal led 20-3 going into halftime. A 63-yard pass from Duckett to Paul Okamura and a 41-yard run by Matt Meno made it 34-3.

Meno led Encinal with 105 of their 263 rushing yards. He did so on just seven carries.

Duckett threw for 89 and ran for 48 more.

Alameda (1-2-1) didn't quit as Tom Ruckman threw a pair of late touchdowns, a 24-yarder to Qais Shaghashi and a 5-yarder to Keith Murray. It took the Hornets nearly four quarters to convert a red zone trip into a touchdown, coming up empty three previous times.

"The problem with being in the red zone is it shrinks the field," Alameda coach Steve Rocklin said. "Once that happened, they started to blitz more."

Berkeley (10/2) 
Hornets vs. Yellowjackets

< Trib Article >

A Tale of Two Halves
By Eli Nemzer - Alameda Sun
10/2/2009

Once again, it took the Alameda Hornets just a little too long to get going. The Hornets game against highly-ranked Berkeley High School echoed those of weeks past. Painfully poor play in the first half, and then a complete turnaround in the second.

Unfortunately for the Hornets, they dug themselves a hole too deep against the Yellowjackets and their star Running Back Ricky Galvin, who despite playing with the flu racked up 257 yards and three touchdowns in the first half.

Galvin, one of the top rushers in the state of California, proved to be too much for the Alameda defense as he scored on runs of 48, 32,and 36 yards in the first quarter. The senior rushed for 169 yards in the first quarter alone. Jamil Whetstone added a 74 yard punt return to build Berkeley's 27-0 half-time lead.

However, shortly before the break, the Hornets defense began to come alive. It began with an interception by Qais Shaghasi. The Hornets threatened as the first half came to a close, but could not convert on a 42 yard field goal.

With Galvin out of the game in the second half, Alameda was revitalized. The defense was lights-out; repeatedly forcing turnovers on downs, as Berkeley refused to punt. At the start of the fourth quarter, two big gains to Keith Murray set up the Hornets first score, a 12 yard pass from Tom Ruckman to Shaghasi.

After yet another forced turnover, Ruckman led a long drive that featured two sensational catches by Ryan Carlson. Mike Cunningham finished the drive with a 2 yard touchdown run.

Although they would in the end fall short, the Hornets second half play certainly bodes well for next week's key game against league rival Pinole Valley. Berkeley, ranked 7th in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Chronicle, improves to 5-0.

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Yellowjackets Out-sting Hornets
By Matt Smith - Oakland Trib
10/2/2009

Ricky Galvin rushed for 257 yards and three touchdowns in just over a half, and the host Yellowjackets (5-0, 1-0) beat the Hornets (1-3-1, 0-1) in the Alameda Contra Costa Athletic League opener for both teams.

Galvin had touchdown runs of 48, 32 and 36 yards and had 169 yards in the opening quarter despite playing with the flu. He already has 1,161 rushing yards this season.

"We knew he would play, but we weren't sure how much," Berkeley coach Alonzo Carter said. "We knew Rickey was going to do what he does."

The Yellowjackets (5-0, 1-0 ACCAL) added a 74-yard punt return by Jamil Whetstone to go up 27-0 at halftime. Alameda (1-3-1, 0-1) scored on a 12-yard pass from Tom Ruckman to Qais Shaghasi and a 3-yard run by Michael Cunningham II.

Pinole (10/9) 
Hornets 23, Spartans 6

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Defense Shuts Down Powerful Spartan Attack
By Eli Nemzer - Alameda Sun
10/9/2009

The Hornets offense got rolling early, scoring a touchdown in the first quarter for the first time all season against league rival Pinole Valley. The defense took it from there, allowing the Spartans formidable run attack just 68 yards in route to a commanding 23-6 victory.

From the start, previously undefeated Pinole was unable to advance the ball through the Hornets line of Ben Paik, Jimmy Connor, Emilio Garcia-Sanchez, Sammy Hassen, and Alex Silva. Alameda got going on their second drive, as big gains by Jeremy Yu and Qais Shaghasi set up Tom Ruckman's 10 yard touchdown run.

Neither team scored in the second quarter, although the Spartans had ample opportunities. Alameda's defense continued to come up big. Mukhtar Kohistani intercepted a pass deep in Spartan territory to end a threat, and later Pinole fumbled for an 11 yard loss in the red zone.

Mike Cunningham took over in the second half. The Junior broke away for a 60 yard run to the 1 yard line, and then scored on the following play to make it 14-0. After a Pinole punt, Cunningham drove the Hornets down field with a 42 yard run, and Ruckman found receiver Ryan Carlson for a 25 yard gain. However, the Spartans forced a turnover on downs.

Donovan Henderson scored Pinole's sole touchdown on a 60 yard pass from Sidney Jones early in the fourth quarter. Alameda put the game away on a 42 yard field goal by Edgar Casteneda and a 39 yard run by Cunningham (197 yds, 2 TDs). The Hornets special teams coverage also made a huge impact on the fourth quarter, as Tuan Vo and Andrew Wu both returned onside kicks, the latter as time expired.

The win is monumental for the Hornets, as their remaining league schedule includes Hercules, De Anza, and Richmond, all of whom have losing records.

Alameda will take its 2-3-1 record, (1-1 in the ACCAL) to Hercules next Friday. The Spartans (4-1) have a bye week.

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Hornet's Swarm Over Spartans
By Pete Elman - Oakland Trib
10/9/2009

The Hornets' swarming defense dominated the Spartans as host Alameda won its first ACCAL game, handily defeating Pinole Valley 23-6.

Alameda (2-3, 1-1 ACCAL) held the Spartans (4-1, 1-1) to only seven first downs and 68 yards rushing, controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Hornet tailback Michael Cunningham finished with 197 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns.

Alameda struck on the final play of the first period on a 10-yard quarterback keeper by Tom Ruckman (9-17, 125 yards) and took a 7-0 lead into the locker room. Cunningham broke off a 60-yard run to the Pinole 1-yard line early in the third quarter and scored on the next play to boost the lead to 14-0. The Spartans got their only score on a 60-yard pass from Sidney Jones to Donovan Henderson to start the final period, but Alameda, after a stalled drive, got a 42-yard field goal from Edgar Castaneda to give them a 17-6 lead. Cunningham scored the final touchdown with 1:10 left in the game on a 31-yard sprint up the middle.

Alameda 7 0 7 9 — 23|
Pinole  0 0 0 6  — 6

Scoring:

A — Ruckman 19 run (Castaneda kick)
A — Cunningham 1 run (Castaneda kick)
PV — Henderson 60 pass from Jones (kick failed)
A — Castaneda 42 FG
A — Cunningham 31 run (run failed)

Statistics:

Rushing: 
PV — Henderson 6-52, Hill 13-13, Milner 4-5, Yee 1-3, Holley 2-3, Jones 1 (-8). Totals: 27-68. 
A — Cunningham 22-197, Ruckman 10-66, Yu 6-54, Danh 1-1, Han 1-(-2). Totals 40-316.

Passing: PV — Jones 5-11-1 94, Holley 1-3-1 46. Totals 6-14-2 140. A — Ruckman 9-17-1 125.

Receiving: 
PV — Salmeron 4-75, Henderson 1-60, Vida 1-5. 
AL- Yu 1-38, Carlson 1-26, Shagasi 2-24, Han 1-21, Lyons-Lau 1-9, Murray 3-7.

Fumbles/lost: PV — 2/0. A — 3/1.
Records: Alameda 2-3 (1-1), Pinole Valley 4-1 (1-1).

 

Hercules (10/16) 
Hornets vs. Titans

 

Dismember the Titans
By Joe Wolfcale - Oakland Trib
10/16/2009

Running back Mike Cunningham carried the ball 15 times for 163 yards and scored three touchdowns in the first half to lead the Hornets to a convincing Alameda Contra Costa Athletic League victory over the host Titans.

Cunningham scored on runs of 17, 55 and 6 yards as Alameda (3-3-1, 2-1) jumped on Hercules (2-4, 0-2) early and never let up. Fullback Jeremy Yu opened the scoring with a 1-yard bolt with 5:29 left in the first quarter.

Alameda quarterback Tom Ruckman connected with lanky receiver Qais Shaghasi on a 28-yard scoring strike early in the second quarter to go with Cunningham's scoring runs.

Alameda converted two Hercules fumbles into early scores to set the tone. Running back Calvin Danh scored on a 4-yard run in the third quarter and kicker Edgar Casteneda booted a 37-yard field goal with less than five minutes remaining to end the scoring.

Alameda recorded 457 yards of offense. Hercules had 126 total yards.

Senior running back Michael Sherman paced the Hercules offense with 55 yards on eight carries.

Richmond (10/30) 
Hornets 56, Oilers 0

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Hornets too much for Oilers to Handle
By Eli Nemzer - Alameda Sun
10/31/2009

The Hornets scored early and often, shutting out the hapless Richmond Oilers on Homecoming at Thompson Field. Tom Ruckman was a perfect 7 for 7 passing with four touchdowns and the Hornets defense held the Oilers to a measly 37 yards of total offense and just one first down.

Qais Shaghasi got things going for Alameda early, intercepting an Oiler pass just a minute into the game. Calvin Danh opened the scoring with a 5 yard run three plays later. After a quick Richmond turnover, Ruckman found Ryan Carlson over the middle from 20 yards out to put Alameda up 14-0. The Junior quarterback threw two more touchdown passes in the first quarter alone, the first going to Tim Han from 5 yards out and the second to Shaghasi from 37.

Mike Cunningham took over in the second quarter, running for two touchdowns. Jeremy Yu added a 30 yard touchdown jaunt in the final seconds of the first half. In fact, Alameda scored on all seven of their possessions in the first half, maintaining a 49-0 lead at the break.

Due to the lopsided nature of the game, the referees opted to play the second half with a running clock. Early in the third quarter Cunningham broke free for a 59 yard run down to the three yard line, and Shaghasi caught a short pass from Ruckman for the final score of the game.

Alameda improves to 4-3-1, 3-1 in the ACCAL. The win also marks the first time the Hornets have had a winning record since 2007. Alameda's playoff hopes lie in the balance of next week's contest, Friday evening at Thompson Field against league rival El Cerrito.

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Hornets Roll Over Oilers
By Pete Elman
Oakland Tribune

The Hornets celebrated homecoming by rolling over the Oilers, scoring on every possession in the first half en route to victory.

Alameda quarterback Tom Rickman completed all seven of his passes for 114 yards and four touchdowns, while tailback Mike Cunningham II needed only five carries for 107 yards and two touchdowns.

On the opening possession an interception by Qais Shagasi gave the Hornets (4-3-1, 3-1 ACCAL) the ball at the Oiler 18-yard line, and three plays later Calvin Danh scored on a 6-yard run.

Alameda struck three more times in the first period, on a 20-yard pass from Ruckman to Ryan Carlson, a five-yard pass to Tim Han and a 37-yard touchdown throw to Shagasi. Cunningham then scored on a 6-yard run and a 48-yard gallop, and Jeremy Yu scored on a 30-yard run to make it 49-0 at the half.

In the second half the referees ran a running clock, and Shagasi scored the game's final touchdown on a 16-yard pass. The Hornets' defense held Richmond (3-6, 2-3) to a paltry 38 yards of total offense.

El Cerrito (11/6) 
Hornets 21, Gauchos 28

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Hornets Fall to El Cerrito in Closing Seconds
By Eli Nemzer - Alameda Sun
11/7/2009

Alameda's playoff chances took a hit Friday, as the Hornets suffered a tough defeat in a nail-biter against league-rival El Cerrito on Senior Night at Thompson Field. The Gauchos' combination of Byron Thomas and Andre Williams proved to be too much for the Hornets pass defense, as the pair hooked up for all four of El Cerrito's touchdowns, including the game winner with nine seconds left.

The Gauchos won the coin-toss and struck first, as a big gain to Isaac Goins led to the first touchdown by Williams, who finished with 10 catches for 163 yards. Alameda quickly countered as Keith Murray's kickoff return and a face-masking penalty gave them decent field position. However, a long drive resulted in a missed field goal.

It was not until midway into the second quarter that either team reached the red zone. Tom Ruckman tied the score with a two yard keeper. On El Cerrito's ensuing possession, Alameda Junior Peni Mesui, playing in his first game of the year, forced a punt by sacking Thomas for a 13 yard loss.

Senior Qais Shaghasi (113 yards) put the Hornets on top, catching a Ruckman pass and taking it to the house from 63 yards out. Alameda had ample opportunity to increase their lead, but a fumble near the goal line as time expired left them just one score ahead at half-time.

The game went back and forth in the second half. Thomas connected with Williams for a 30 yard score, but Alameda countered with a reverse to Kyle Bridges, who scored from 46 yards out. As the third quarter came to a close, El Cerrito tied the score at 21 on a 39 yard touchdown by Williams.

Early in the fourth, the teams traded interceptions. Tim Han picked off a Thomas pass deep in Gaucho territory, but Damare McElmore intercepted Ruckman's pass on Alameda's very next play.

Both teams also had scores nullified by penalties. Goins leaped high in the air to haul in a pass in the back corner of the end zone, but was called for offensive pass interference. Moments later, Michael Cunningham's touchdown run was called back due to holding.

The Gauchos took over deep in Alameda territory with under three minutes to play tied at 21, but a 45 yard gain to Goins on third and 30 got them in scoring position. With nine seconds left on the El Cerrito 14 yard line, Thomas found Williams over the middle for the game-winner.

El Cerrito improves to 6-3, 4-1 in the ACCAL. They conclude their regular season next week at home against Hercules. The Hornets fall to 4-4-1, 3-2 in league play. Their playoff hopes are still alive, and look to send a message next Friday with a resounding performance against winless De Anza.

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Hornets Edged by Gauchos
By Matt Smith
Oakland Tribune

Byron Thomas and Andre Williams hooked up for their fourth touchdown pass of the night, a 14-yarder with nine seconds left that lifted the visiting Gauchos (6-3, 4-1 ACCAL) over the Hornets.

Thomas threw for 333 yards and also connected with Williams on scoring throws of 17, 30 and 39 yards.

"Those two have been playing together for a long time, ever since youth football in Richmond," El Cerrito coach Kenny Kahn said. "It's good to see the connection is still strong."

Williams, the team's leading rusher, had 10 catches for 163 yards.

"He's so multi-faceted," Kahn said. "We're not afraid to split him out wide or move him all over the field."

Qais Shaghasi led Alameda (4-4-1,4-2) with 113 receiving yards, including a 62-yard touchdown.

STATISTICS

El Cerrito 7  0 14 7 — 28
Alameda    0 14  7 0 — 21

• EC — Williams 17 pass from Thomas (Mungia kick)
• A — Ruckman 2 run (Casteneda kick)
• A — Shaghasi 62 pass from Ruckman (Casteneda kick)
• EC — Williams 30 pass from Thomas (Mungia kick)
• A — Bridges 46 run (Casteneda kick)
• EC — Williams 39 pass from Thomas (Mungia kick)
• EC — Williams 14 pass from Thomas (Mungia kick)

Rushing: 

• EC — Louis 9-18, Williams 7-10, Onyike 3-3, Thomas 5-1. Totals: 24-32
• A — Cunningham 13-107, Ruckman 14-70, Bridges 1-46, Yu 3-16, Danh 2-10. Totals: 33-249.

Passing: 

• EC — Thomas 21-28-1 333
• A — Ruckman 6-14-1 117

Receiving: 

• EC: Williams 10-163, Goins 4-69, Christian 2-53, McElmore 2-26, Jackson 1-16, Louis 1-13, Onyike 1-(-7)
• A - Shaghasi 3-113, Carlson 1-9, Yu 1-5, Cunningham 1-(-10)

Fumbles/lost: 
  El Cerrito — 3/1
  Alameda — 2/1

Records: 
  El Cerrito 6-3, 4-1 ACCAL
  Alameda 4-4-1, 4-2 ACCAL

De Anza (11/13) 
Hornets 49, Dons 7

 

Hornets De Feat De Anza
By Nick Norvell
Oakland Tribune

The visiting Hornets (5-4-1, 4-2 ACCAL) bolted out to a 28-0 first-quarter lead and didn't look back against the Dons (0-10, 0-6).

The Hornets scored on the first play of the game, as quarterback Tom Ruckman found wide receiver Tim Han for a 51-yard scoring pass. Alameda's offense also struck quickly on the second possession when Ruckman passed to Daniel Lyons-Lau for an 11-yard touchdown. Ruckman passed for three touchdowns in the first quarter and finished 7-for-7 for 149 yards and four touchdowns.

Alameda's Jeremy Yu rushed for two touchdowns and 100 yards on eight carries. De Anza's Donta Ward led De Anza in rushing with 41 yards on six carries and scored the Dons' lone touchdown on a 27-yard run late in the fourth quarter.

STATISTICS

Alameda 28 14 7 0 — 49
De Anza  0  0 0 7 —  7

• A — Han 51 pass from Ruckman (Casteneda kick)
• A — Lyons-Lau 11 pass from Ruckman (Casteneda kick)
• A — Shaghasi 9 pass from Ruckman (Casteneda kick)
• A — Yu 25 run (Casteneda kick)
• A — Murray 1 pass from Ruckman (Casteneda kick)
• A — Ruckman 24 run (Casteneda kick)
• A — Yu 1 run (Casteneda kick)
• D — Ward 27 run (Rascon kick)

Rushing:

• A — Yu 8-100, Ruckman 5-59, Bridges 1-51, Manibusan 1-7, Vo 1-1. Totals: 16 -218
• D — Ward 6-41, Evans 5-15, Marhall 6-8, Field 4-1.Totals: 21-65.

Passing:

• A — Ruckman 7-7-0 149.
• D — Evans 3-13-0 51, Carpenter 1-1-0 3. Totals 4-14-0 54.

Receiving: 

• A — Lyons-Lau 2-29, Murray 2-4, Carlson 1-56, Han 1-51, Shaghasi 1-9. 
• D — Parker 1-41, Scott 1-9, Evans 1-3, Marhall 1-1.

Fumbles/lost: 

• A — 1/1. 
• D — 1/0.

Records: 

• Alameda 5-4-1, 4-2 ACCAL; 
• De Anza 0-10, 0-6.

@ NCS: Ygnacio Valley (11/21) 
Hornets 41, Warriors 48

YouTube Clips:
Opening Kickoff Fumble Defensive Stand Ruckman to Shaghasi Ruckman to Cunningham TD Qais goes up high for catch Edgar FG Lyons 'Blur Drill' reception Murray kick return Ruckman to Murray pass Ruckman to Murray - Take 2 Jeremy YU TD plunge Edgar PAT Qais interception	Casteneda FG to tie game Tackling a freight train J-Yu 1st down run Michael C. 1st down run Manibusen to Mesui reception Reverse to Kyle Bridges Yu punishes then scores Casteneda kick Ruckman toss to Murray Han from Ruckman catch Ruckman to Shaghasi again Cunningham TD Good Game Hornets!!
< Photos + Trib Article >

Hornet Hang Tough vs. Warriors
Eli Nemzer - Alameda Sun

The twelfth seeded Hornets put up a valiant effort from the start, scoring the first two touchdowns and leading until just before half-time, but fifth seeded Ygnacio Valley's Patrone Wood proved to be too much for Alameda's defense, scoring six touchdowns en route to a 48-41 Warrior victory.

Alameda jumped ahead early, as the Warriors fumbled the opening kickoff. Junior quarterback Tom Ruckman (210 passing yards), found Qais Shaghasi near the goal line, who proceeded to fumble. The fumble was recovered by Jeremy Yu, who brought it in for the opening score. On their next possession, the Hornets added to their lead, as Michael Cunningham rushed for a 29 yard score. Just before the end of the quarter, Ygnacio Valley got on the board with Wood, who caught a slant from Adam Nesheim and took it 49 yards into the end zone.

After a Hornet field goal early in the second quarter, Wood brought Ygnacio Valley back into the contest, with runs of 25 and 1. In between, he added an interception from the middle linebacker position. Alameda, on the other hand, was robbed of an interception as Shaghasi's pick was called back due to holding. Ahead 19-17, the Warriors executed a two minute drill to add to their lead before half-time. Nesheim's 30 yard pass to Alex Ortega set up a 29 yard touchdown to Willie Owens. Wood completed the two point conversion to make it 27-17 at the break.

Alameda did not relent in the second half. Ruckman led a five minute long drive, hooking up with Senior receiver Keith Murray for gains of 19 and 28 yards. Yu culminated the drive with a 1 yard touchdown run. On the Warriors next possession, Shaghasi picked of a Nesheim pass and returned it to the 15 yard line. In a prime opportunity to take the lead, the Hornets had to settle for the tie, as Edgar Casteneda booted a 28 yard field goal to make it 27-27.

However, the tie did not last long. Wood took over, breaking numerous tackles on a 61 yard touchdown jaunt. Moments later, on the first play of the fourth quarter, the enormous yet explosive running back scored from 15 yards out. To add insult to injury, he also threw the two-point conversion to a wide-open Grant Jones.

Down two touchdowns, Alameda had also lost Ruckman to an elbow injury. Sophomore Antonio Manibusan stepped up to the challenge, leading the Hornets down-field with the assistance of sizable runs by Cunningham, Yu, and Kyle Bridges, as well as an array of Warrior penalties. Jeremy Yu dove into the end zone to make it 41-34.

However, Ygnacio Valley countered with Wood, who on fourth and goal scored from five yards out, his sixth touchdown of the afternoon. Ruckman returned to the game, and completed passes to Murray, Tim Han, and Shaghasi to set up Cunningham's second touchdown.

Down seven, when the Hornets were unable to recover their onside kick, the Warriors ran out the clock. Ygnacio Valley will travel to Eureka to take on the fourth seeded Loggers next Friday.

Alameda finishes 5-5-1, an improvement from last season. They also received a record eleven all-league selections, including seven first-team winners. Tom Ruckman, Mike Cunningham, Qais Shaghasi, Emilio Garcia-Sanchez, Tim Han, Jimmy Connor, and Edgar Casteneda earned first-team honors while Ben Paik, Tim Watanabe, Jeremy Yu, and Mukhtar Kohistani made the second team.

Warriors ride Wood to Wild Win
By Ben Enos
Oakland Tribune

Patrone Wood II rushed for 198 yards and five touchdowns, caught a pass for a touchdown, threw a two-point conversion and even had an interception to lead the No. 5 seed Ygnacio Valley High football team to a 48-41 win over No. 12 Alameda in the first round of the North Coast Section Division II playoffs in Concord.

Alameda (5-5-1) started fast, building a 14-0 lead by the middle of the first quarter. But, a fumble by Michael Cunningham II gave the Warriors some life and, on the ensuing drive, Adam Nesheim found Wood for a 49-yard touchdown pass to shake Ygnacio Valley (9-2) from its slumber. The Warriors scored three more times before halftime to lead 27-17 at the break.

"We knew they were going to be good, but they played a lot better than we thought they would," Wood said. "They had a lot of hard runners that gave us a lot of problems and they had a lot of intensity."

The Hornets rallied in the third quarter, tying the game with 4:57 left in the third. Wood countered though, breaking off touchdown runs of 61, 15 and 5 yards in the second half to put Ygnacio Valley back on top.

Ygnacio Valley will play a quarterfinal game at No. 4 Eureka on Saturday at 7 p.m.

- Campolindo (s) - Newark - O'Dowd - San Lorenzo - Encinal - Berkeley - Pinole -
- Hercules - Richmond - El Cerrito - De Anza -  

Campolindo (8/28) 
Hornets vs. Cougars

 

Scrimmage Only - no game summary submitted.

Newark Memorial (9/4) 
Hornets 0, Cougars 14

 

Game reporter needed.

If submitted, game summary will go here.

O'Dowd (9/11) 
Hornets 14, Dragons 6

 

Game reporter needed.

If submitted, game summary will go here.

San Lorenzo (9/18) 
Hornets 21, Rebels 6

 

Game reporter needed.

If submitted, game summary will go here.

Encinal (9/25) 
Hornets 15, Jets 14

 

Game reporter needed.

If submitted, game summary will go here.

Berkeley (10/2) 
Hornets 21, Yellowjackets 48

 

Game reporter needed.

If submitted, game summary will go here.

Pinole (10/9) 
Hornets 28, Spartans 31

 

Game reporter needed.

If submitted, game summary will go here.

Hercules (10/16) 
Hornets 16, Titans 18

 

Game reporter needed.

If submitted, game summary will go here.

Richmond (10/30) 
Hornets 44, Oilers 0

 

Game reporter needed.

If submitted, game summary will go here.

El Cerrito (11/6) 
Hornets 39, Gauchos 8

 

Game reporter needed.

If submitted, game summary will go here.

De Anza (11/13) 
Hornets 19, Dons 18

 

JVs come from behind to be De Anza 19-18 on a last minute 39-yd field goal by Tomas Martinez-Granata.

Campo (s) - Mt. Eden - O'Dowd - Mt. Diablo - Dublin - Piedmont - Terra Linda -
- Logan - Berkeley - Campo -

Campo (8/28) 
Hornets vs. Campolindo (scrimmage)

 

Scrimmage Only - no game summary submitted.

Mt. Eden (9/3) 
Hornets vs. Monarchs

 

Game cancelled by Mt. Eden.

Bishop O'Dowd (9/11) 
Hornets 6, Dragons 32

 

Game reporter needed.

If submitted, game summary will go here.

Mt. Diablo (9/17) 
Hornets 46, Red Devils 0

 

Game reporter needed.

If submitted, game summary will go here.

Dublin (9/24) 
Hornets 0, Gaels 41

Game reporter needed.

If submitted, game summary will go here.

Piedmont (10/1) 
Hornets 30, Highlanders 39

Game reporter needed.

If submitted, game summary will go here.

Terra Linda (10/8) 
Hornets 32, Trojans 13

Game reporter needed.

If submitted, game summary will go here.

Logan (10/15) 
Hornets 6, Colts 35

Game reporter needed.

If submitted, game summary will go here.

Berkeley (10/22) 
Hornets 20, Yellowjackets 20

 

Game reporter needed.

If submitted, game summary will go here.

Campo (10/29) 
Hornets 14, Campolindo 14

 

Game reporter needed.

If submitted, game summary will go here.

GAME REPORTERS:  Game reporters need to attend their team's games (home & away) and simply report back a day or two afterwards with scores and highlights.  The reports only need to be a few paragraphs long.  

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