FALL SPORTS SHORTS–
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For the 2006 football schedule, click here on Sports Schedules and/or go to the menu bar on the right.

For the 2006 football NWSL standing and stats, click here on MaxPreps NWSL football.

FOOTBALL–
FC finished the season 2-8 overall and 1-4 in the North West Sierra League as of Nov. 3.

SEASON END

LIBERTY SCORED EARLY, DOWN EAGLES —
The festive Liberty-Madera Rancho sideline was festive as the Hawks celebrated senior night at the expense of the visiting Eagles. By half time, game was 28-0 for Liberty and the Hawks defeated FC, 38-6, on Nov. 3 and end the Eagles’ season.

While FC held Liberty to only 10 second half points, Hawk back, Brandon Graham, scored 2 rushing touchdowns to pace the home squad. Graham’s 109 yards rushing led Liberty as he scored from 43 and 17 yards out. Brandon Schluetler caught at Chris Gonzales pass for a 41-yard pass play and Jerron Romias intercepted a pass and ran it in for a 33-yard TD to round out the Hawk scoring at half.

The Eagles were better on defense in the second half, stopping Liberty on numerous drives. And, after, Schuetler kicked a field goal at the end of the third quarter, FC scored early in the fourth when Paris Smith caught a Greg Kilgore pass and ran 51 yards for an Eagle TD. Kilgore finished with 7 rushes for 68 yards and went 3-9 and 58 yards passing.

COAST BACK SETS RUSHING RECORD TO PACE BRONCOS —
In a night set aside to honor campus football and cheer seniors, the Broncos ran away with a North West Sierra League win on Oct. 27. While FC tied the game, 7-7, midway through the first quarter when quarterback J.D. Williams scored on a 5-yard run, Coast answered with a TD in the last minute of the quarter and cruised to a 63-13 win over the Eagles.

The game also marked a new Central Section record as Coast back, T.J. Nelson, ran 32 times for 422 yards and 5 touchdowns, including a 74-yard run, and wore down an injury-depleated Eagle team. Coast also recovered 3. Westin Moon ran for 90 yards on 17 carries and one TD as the Eagles were unable to stop their well-oiled offense.

Coast scored 2 TDs each quarter and 3 in the second. FC’s only other score was a 17-yard pass play from Perry to Ryan Taylor in the third. The Eagles were able to move the ball at times but 3 fumbles slalled their drives and resulted in Bronco TDs. Perry went 9-15 for 108 yards, Ryan Brunn carried 11 times for 40 yards and Nate Weis went 6-57 yards on the ground.

However, the Eagle faithful were not left without anything to cheer about. For the first time in school history, the campus marching band performed a field show at half time. New band director, Chris Rice, choreographed the show under a superheros theme and the band marched a five-minute routine. Additionally, the cheer squad performed a number of routines as they prepare for their winter competitions.

The band will next perform the field march at the Selma Band Review on Oct. 28 beginning at 10:30 A.M.

TURNOVERS THE DIFFERENCE AGAINST MENDOTA–
Mendota’s Craig Torrez intercepted a pass on the Eagles’ second play from scrimmage and ran it back 26 yards for a touchdown to lead the Aztecs to a 43-18 win over FC on Oct. 20.

While FC quarterback J.D. Perry scored on a 1-yard plunge for TD on the Eagles’ next possession, Torrez went on a tear and passed for 2 more TDs to Joaquin Velasco of 24 and 29 yards. Torrez finished the game with 114 all-purpose yards to lead Mendota.

Velasco also added to the Aztec lead when he scored on a 44-yard run in the second quarter. While Velasco had 8 rushes for 61 yards, Mendota’s Paul Villar led all rushers with 19 carries for 143 yards and a 28-yard TD run just before half time.

Mendota intercepted the ball 4 times to pace their offense as Torrez and Velasco each had two picks.

The Eagles scored late in the first half when Ryan Brunn scored caught a Williams’ pass and ran the ball in from 25 yards out, but Mendota still led, 33-12.

The FC defense played a strong second half and held Mendota to 10 points while Brunn scored his second TD of the game on a 55-yard run in the third quarter. Brunn finished the game with 9 carries for 130 yards.

FIREBAUGH’S BACK CHEWS UP YARDAGE–
Both teams were fresh off of opening NWSL wins and met in Firebaugh as fall drifted throught he stadium. While rain and light winds hampered the passing game, the host Eagles used the ground game to overwhelm the visitors, 44-8, on Oct. 13.

Jose Yanez scored three touchdowns and rushed for 332 yards on 25 carries to keep Firebaugh undefeated in the NWSL. The Eagles piled up 512 yards rushing, 571 yards of total offense, and scored TDs each quarter. The host Eagles kept FC’s ground came from ever getting untrack and held them to 129 yards rushing.

The only bright spot offensively for FC was Ryan Brunn’s 66-yard scamper for a TD in the first quarter to tie the game at 8. Brunn finished the game with a respectable 98 yards rushing on 7 carries. But it was Firebaugh’s game after Brunn scored as they led 24-8 at half and added 14 points in the third quarter to blow the game open.

FC DEFEATS TRANQUILLITY DURING HOMECOMING–
With hammers, saws, generators and rock n’ roll adding to the band and crowd noise, the Eagles’ faithful were not disappointed as FC defeated the Tigers, 42-20, during homecoming on Oct. 6.

Over 1,100 crowded Clark Intermediate Junior High stands in Clovis and watched the Eagles come from behind in the opening quarter and dominate the second half. Adding to the festivities was a combined junior/senior high band which led the first ever FC fight song; elaborate homecoming floats were also built across the field as the Eagles won their North West Sierra League opener.

Tranquillity kept the varsity game close as they made it 21-14 in the beginning of the third quarter when they sacked quarterback J.D. Perry in the endzone for a safety. But the Eagles put the game out of reach before the quarter ended.

Perry drove FC down the field on the ensuing drive and scored his second of three touchdowns on a 9-yard run. Perry added his third TD early in the 4th quarter on a 22-yard run. The senior quarterback finished the game with 12 carries for 79 yards rushing and went 5-15 passing for 75 yards and one interception.

The teams traded TDs late in the 4th quarter when Tigers’ Beto Solorio scored on a 8-yard pass from quarterback Joey Medina. The Eagles responded less than three minutes later, Paris Smith scored on an 18-yard screen play for TD on a pass from Perry to put the game out of reach. Paris finished the game with 7 carries for 57 yards.

Junior running back Ryan Brunn, who added 72 yards rushing on 9 carries, scored the last Eagle TD on a 5-yard run with less than two minutes remaining.

Tranquillity opened the scoring early in the first quarter when Rlando Ruvalcaba caught a 28-yard TD from Medina (9-17- 124 yards). However, on the kickoff after TD, Perry drove the Eagles downfield and then scored on a 29-yard run and the Eagles never trailed again. And as the second quarter began, during their next possession, Perry scored his second TD on a 19-yard run.

While Francisco Gutierrez (23-128 yards) scored on a 5-yard run to draw Tranquillity within 2 points, 14-12 (both point afterward opportunities failed), the Tigers seemed deflated when Greg Kilgore returned a short punt 23 yards for a TD to put the Eagles ahead, 21-12 at the half.

FC’s Ryan Taylor kicked all 6 point after TDs in the game to round out the Eagle scoring.

Earlier, in the junior varsity game, the Eagles led throughout and defeated the Tigers, 38-18. The JV squad is now 1-0 in the North West Sierra League and 2-4 overall.

JV ROUTS TRANQUILLITY DURING HOMECOMING–

It’s all about the running game for the junior varsity Eagles. The JV football team scored five running touchdowns and went four of five on two-point conversions in their 38-18 homecoming victory over the Tranquillity Tigers on Oct. 6.

Sophomore Kyle Hendrix ran for 153 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries. His longest run came on a 79-yard sweep for a score on the first play after freshman Landon Martens intercepted a Tranquillity pass on FC?s 21-yard line. Sophomore Daniel Kingen added 151 yards on 9 carries and 2 touchdowns. Kingen did his main damage powering up the middle and then busting to the outside for multiple carries over 25 yards.

Sophomore Kevin Damm ran for a 38-yard touchdown on his only carry of the game. The Eagles racked up 370 yards rushing but just 3 yards passing on just over 30 offensive plays.

In addition to Martens? pick, Brian Weskamp and Julio Ibarra had interceptions. Both Kingen and Hendrix, each averaged over 100 yards per game, are on pace to rush for 1000 yards this season.

Much of the credit for the running backs? success goes to the offensive line, led by sophomores Taylor Motte, Trent Souza and Drew Wiese. The Eagles average 270 yards per game, with Friday nights? production being the highest yet for the season.

FOWLER SHUTS OUT EAGLES–
The Redcats got all their scoring in the first half and went on to defeat the Eagles, 21-0, at Clark on Sept. 29. FC was unable to sustain a drive on offense but was able to shut out the Redcats in the second half.

Fowler scored early in the first and added a 2-point conversion to lead 8-0 by quarter’s end. They added two more TDs in the second as Jose Mendez scored on a 3-yard run in the second and passed for a TD just before half to Angel Vargas caught his second TD of the game. Mendez finished the game with 132 yards rushing and caught a 20-yard pass.

Defensively the Eagles made numerous plays to keep the game close. FC recovered a fumble and stopped Fowler on fourth down five times. Greg Kilgore led the team with four quarterback sacks.

In order to put this week’s game in perspective, the week before, the Redcats defeated fellow Division III opponent Lindsay, 51-7. FC is a Division V school.

J.D. Perry led the Eagles at quarterback and rushed for 61 yards and had 65 yards in passing to lead the offfense. Ryan Taylor led the Eagles’ receivers with 5 catches for 62 yards.

FC BEATS RIVERDALE IN DOUBLE OT–
After Ryan Brunn scored this third TD of the evening and Ryan Taylor kicked his 4th extra point, J.D. Perry batted down a two-point conversion attempt and the Eagles defeated Riverale, 28-27, on Sept. 22 in Clovis.

While the game was scoreless after the first quarter, the Cowboys marched down the field early in the second to take a 6-point lead. However, Brunn took a handoff from quarterback Perry and ran 32 yards for his first TD. FC led 7-6 at half time.

Riverdale scored the only points in the third on a 41 yard fumble return for TD and passed for a 2-point conversion to take a lead until 3 minutes left in the fourth when Daniel Kaiser hit Nate Weis for a 50-yard pass and run TD. Taylor again hit the extra point and the game went in to overtime. Brunn finished the game with 68 yards rushing.

Both clubs scored on the first and second attempt with Brunn scoring on 5-yard and 10-yard TDs. Taylor put the Eagles ahead even when Riverdale scored on their second attempt but failed to win the game on the broken pass play in the end zone.

Perry also ran 18 times from the quarterback position and gained 72 yards to lead the Eagles. However, K.C. Loyd led the Cowboys with 204 yards rushing on 41 attempts.

MISSION PREP. OUTLASTS FC, 30-25, IN MORRO BAY–
With the Cayucos games and chowder finished, most of the high school jamed into Morro Bay High’s stadium to take in the annual beach trip game. And while the Eagles rally came up short in the end against Mission Prep College, the annual beach trip proved a success.

The Royals took an early 9-point in the first quarter lead after a 69-yard pass play and a safety but J.D. Perry rushed for 2 TDs and the Eagles led, 13-9, by the end of the first quarter. The 260 transplanted Eagle faithful who bussed to Morro Bay were on hand to watch the best game of the young season and outnumbered the home Royal fans.

The second quarter belonged to Mission Prep as quarterback Dylan Morrow passed for 2 TDs of 27 and 37 yards to George Johnson and the Royals led, 23-13 at half time. The third quarter was well played as both defenses shut the other squad down until Harrison Keller scored his second TD of the game on an 80-yard run from scrimmage and kicker Joe Mazlin made his 4th point after of the game.

Yet, to their credit, the Eagles did not pack up and hang their heads. With the visiting crowd with them, FC controled the 4th quarter and closed the gap to 5 points. Perry added a 1-yard TD run, his third of the game, while James Brown had a 7-yard rushing TD in the last frame. Brown, normally a defensive tackle, showed flashes of the 1980s Chicago Bears William Perry, when he rumbled in for a surprise TD.

But the Eagles ran out of time in their comeback bid.

The only difference between the two squads this evening was the safety in the first quarter and the three Eagles’ missed point after TD.

Perry finished the game with 67 yards passing (5-9) and 101 yards rushing. Paris Smith ran 4 times for 34 yards. Ryan Taylor was Perry’s favorite receiver and caught 4 passes for 51 yards.

STRATHMORE DEFEATS FC, 28-7–
Strathmore took the opening kick-off 92 yards for a touchdown and never looked back as the Spartans defeated the Eagles, 28-7, on Sept. 8. While the Eagle band, under new band director Chris Rice led a spirited student section in the stands, FC was unable to stop the Spartans’ Keith Delk in the field as he scored four TDs.

FC was led by senior J.D. Perry who rushed for 100 yards and the Eagles’ only TD, a 6-yard run in the third quarter. While Strathmore led 21-0 at the half, the band, sports and band boosters as well as the Kids Karnival kept the crowd in a festive mood in the Eagles’ home opener at Clark Intermediate.

BYE WEEK, SEPT. 1

RIVAL EAGLES DEFEAT FRESNO, 38-7, IN BAKERSFIELD–
After five players graduated, the boys’ football team players practiced throughout to the summer and kickoffed the year with a preseason game against Bakersfield Christian High on Aug. 25.

Senior Zack Bell, caught a J.D. Perry pass in the end zone and Fresno tied the game, 7-7, early in the second quarter. Although FC entered the second half tied, several injuries hindered their game. Bakersfield also recovered three out of five fumbles, which led to rival Eagles’ touchdowns. Bakersfield beat FC, 38-7.