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| Patterson's defense buckles down in playoff win over Argonaut |
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| Written by Mike Vanden Bosch / Patterson Irrigator | |
| Saturday, 17 November 2007 | |
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“We’re a different team since Week 2,” Scoring big on offense and being stingy on defense worked so well for the Patterson High football team, it yielded the team’s highest regular season win total in school history. So when the Tigers found themselves clinging to just a 17-7 halftime lead against Argonaut, they turned to a familiar strategy for victory. Patterson’s defense buckled down with two fumble recoveries and two forced punts, and the rushing game produced two second half touchdowns in a 31-14 victory at home. The win advanced Patterson (10-1) to the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. V semifinals against Escalon (10-1), which defeated Bret Harte 42-7 Friday.  Photo by Elias Funez / Patterson Irrigator “We made some major changes at halftime and regrouped,” Patterson coach Rob Cozart said. “We were out of position a few times in the first half. We were able to stuff them from then on out. We went back to basics and got some things taken care of.” Patterson appeared poised to run away with the game based on an explosive first quarter. A 54-yard pass from quarterback Daniel Reza to Johnny Garcia and a 42-yard touchdown run up the gut by Keith Yamamoto gave the Tigers an early 14-0 lead. Garcia’s interception at midfield helped set up Yamamoto’s touchdown. Yet, Argonaut (5-6) didn’t roll over in a 37-yard scoring drive that culminated in a Boonie Mason 1-yard touchdown, trimming Patterson’s lead to 14-7 with 1:05 left in the first quarter. Later, Carson Yager put an end to Patterson’s next possession when he intercepted Reza’s pass at the Argonaut 27-yard line. But Patterson’s defense stopped Argonaut on two straight possessions to wind up with the ball at midfield four minutes before halftime. Reza’s 31-yard pass to Robby Samano set the table for Eric Mejia’s 39-yard field goal just before half for a 17-7 lead. Patterson carried a full head of steam on both sides of the ball to launch the second half. Alfredo Serrano recovered a fumble, giving the Tigers the ball at the Argonaut 39. Five straight runs led to Yamamoto’s second touchdown of 18 yards, for a 24-7 lead. “I think we were stronger than them,” said Yamamoto, who had 78 rushing yards on 11 carries. “In the second half, we had the mentality to come out and just pound them. We did that, maintained drives, and took control of the game.”  Photo by Elias Funez / Patterson Irrigator Though the Tigers didn’t immediately capitalize, Reza sealed the victory on his 11-yard touchdown keeper with 7:56 left in the fourth quarter for a 31-7 lead. “This was our last home game of the year,” said Reza, who threw for 125 yards on 6-of-12 passing. “We wanted to do this for the seniors. After a while, we started picking it up and got into a rhythm. We just played our game. The defense really stepped it up in the second half.” Patterson defeated Escalon 28-13 in Week 2 at home, but the Cougars played without running back Josh May. Escalon also has home field advantage and a resurgent quarterback in Nick Aprile. “We’re a different team since Week 2,” Cozart said. “Our defense has changed since then. We’re playing better. It’ll definitely be tough. Let’s see what happens when we get out there in round two. If we play the way we’re capable of playing, we’ll come out on top.” For three-year varsity starter Yamamoto, playing Patterson’s style of defense will go a long way against its former Trans-Valley League rival. “We have to play our game and try not to play out of our skin,” Yamamoto said. “We have to concentrate on playing our base defense and not over game play for just one guy, Josh May.” A win over Escalon would likely yield a second matchup against Central Catholic in the section final, but just getting that opportunity is everything for Yamamoto, a senior. “I’ve played varsity for three years,” he said. “In the first two years, we’ve gone to the section semifinals and always gotten knocked out. This year, we got to get over the hump. It’s going to take a perfect game of defense.” To reach Play Editor Mike Vanden Bosch at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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