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Central ends Patterson’s dream season |
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Written by Mike Vanden Bosch / Patterson Irrigator /
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Sunday, 02 December 2007 |
"The kids played hard and didn't quit. When they were down, they could have just rolled over after that first turnover. They rallied around everything and stayed with it. I'm extremely proud of these guys."
- Patterson coach Rob Cozart
STOCKTON — With each passing game, the Patterson High football etched its place in the annals of school history.
A 7-0 undefeated record to start the season, coupled with the highest number of wins in school history, positioned the Tigers to win its first section championship.
But history and adrenaline gave way to Central's experience and big plays. The Raiders used an interception return for a touchdown and a couple big pass plays in the second half to beat Patterson 24-6 in the Div. V Sac-Joaquin Section title game at UOP Saturday.
"The kids played hard and didn't quit," Patterson coach Rob Cozart said. "When they were down, they could have just rolled over after that first turnover. They rallied around everything and stayed with it. I'm extremely proud of these guys."  Photo by Elias Funez / Patterson Irrigator
A home crowd of over 3,000 fans watched Patterson (11-2) battle Central (11-1-1) in a wild first half.
Accepting the kickoff first, Central marched from its own 35-yard line to the Patterson 20 before the Tigers defense kicked in and stopped the Raiders on downs.
Patterson gained just one first down on its first possession on a Keith Yamamoto six-yard run. However, the Tigers got a big break when Johnny Garcia recovered a Louis Bland fumble at the 2-yard line just as Central was about to score.
Even more significant was an ankle injury to lineman and defensive stalwart Jorden Faatiga, a force on the line. He hobbled off the field and would return sporadically.
"Jorden never wanted to come out even though he could barely walk," Patterson captain and all-league linebacker Keith Yamamoto said. "That just shows what the defense is all about. We're not the biggest or strongest defense, but we got the heart that it takes to be pretty dominant."
Patterson stalled deep in its own territory and was forced to punt after going three-and-out. Despite a high punt snap, punter James Santana soared high for the ball and salvaged a 14-yard punt to the 22-yard line.  Photo by Elias Funez / Patterson Irrigator
But Patterson couldn't hold off Central in such good field position. Following a 15-yard pass from David Halvorson to Alex Young, Bland scampered nearly untouched into the end zone for a 7-yard TD and a 7-0 Central lead with 25 seconds left in the first quarter.
Down but not out, Patterson unfurled its only scoring drive of the day, a 10-play masterpiece that began with negative rushing yards and finished on a bang. Keith Yamamoto bolted 21 yards into the end zone to trim Central's lead to just 7-6.
Kicking woes hampered the Tigers, though, as Eric Mejia's extra point attempt sailed wide right.
 Photo by Elias Funez / Patterson Irrigator
Following a 24-yard field goal from Andrew Kelly, Mejia missed a 33-yard field goal with 40 seconds left in the first half that would have brought Patterson to within 10-9. Instead, Central led 10-6 at halftime.
Reminiscent of Central's fumble recovery in the end zone during their 35-10 win Oct. 26 over Patterson, history repeated itself dubiously.
On just the fourth play of Patterson's drive to start the second half, James Orth intercepted a Daniel Reza pass and returned it 50 yards for a 17-6 lead.
On the first play of Patterson's ensuing drive, Reza was tackled just as he tossed a pitch to Yamamoto for a run. Reza struggled with his physical mobility the remainder of the game, relegating him to the passing pocket.
"We put a lot of heart into this," Reza said. "We tried to use our strengths. It took us this far. I'm sure happy to be a part of this team. This is a great group of guys and I'm happy to have spent time with them."  Photo by Elias Funez / Patterson Irrigator
Central capped the scoring with 4:09 left in the third quarter when Young caught a 24-yard pass from backup quarterback Patrick Trinkler for a 24-6 lead.
Garcia and Josh Ham each had interceptions of Trinkler after that point, but Bland and T.J. Belton put an end to two Patterson fourth quarter drives with interceptions.
Still, Cozart said he marveled at what he considered an amazing season of unparalleled support.
"I couldn't do half the things without the support of the community, the coaches around me, the administration and the faculty," he said. "It's just been amazing. I'm so proud of these kids, the community and the fan support."
To reach Play Editor Mike Vanden Bosch at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at
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