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Dons score 21 in 2nd half 

Using a relentless style and a horde of running backs, the De Anza Dons outscored St. Mary’s 21-0 in the second half on Friday to claim a 28-14 victory. 

Running back Tyke Moore led the Dons (2-1) with 92 yards and scored one touchdown, while teammate Marcus Russell ran for two second-half scores. In all, De Anza used six different running backs in the game, gaining 218 yards on the ground, including 188 in the second half. 

“It pretty much came down to line play today,” St. Mary’s head coach Jay Lawson said. “My guys just started getting tired.” 

The Dons tied the game 14-14 on a Russell 14-yard run at the end of the third quarter, then broke the Panthers with a six-minute, 12-play, 53-yard drive culminating with a Moore nine-yard touchdown run. 

It’s hard to blame the Panthers (1-2) for their second-half letdown, as they suited up just 22 players for Friday’s game. Among the players in street clothes on the St. Mary’s sideline were starting offensive linemen Rodny Acda and Jonathon Tarranto, and they were joined before halftime by fellow linemen Jarrell Booker and Nick Osborne. Although Booker and Osborne played in the second half, they were clearly less than 100 percent. 

“Our numbers were already light, and they just started wearing our line down,” Lawson said. “There were times we wanted to send in a substitute, but we didn’t have anyone on the sideline who could play.” 

The depleted roster also contributed to the Panthers’ offensive woes. St. Mary’s has yet to score a second-half offensive touchdown, and tailback Trestin George was forced to play nearly every down on defense on Friday. After a 75-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to open the scoring, George had just 65 yards in the final three quarters, finishing with 165 yards on 21 carries. 

While the St. Mary’s defense sagged late in the game, the De Anza defenders seemed to get stronger as the game went on, especially linebacker George Morris. After forcing a fumble from St. Mary’s quarterback Steve Murphy on a blindside hit to open the game, Morris disappeared until the end of the game. But when the Panthers made a late defensive stop and got the ball back at their own 30 down 21-14, Morris came to life. On third down, he combined with Russell to sack Murphy on the 15, then finished the Panthers’ hopes with another sack on fourth down. Morris came unblocked on both plays, as the makeshift St. Mary’s offensive line struggled with their assignments. 

“We just kept pounding on them, beating up their line,” De Anza head coach George Pye said. “I know what it’s like to have players going both ways, and I know fatigue will kick in eventually.” 

Two plays later, Russell scored from a yard out to cap the scoring. 

The Panthers had a 14-6 halftime lead, thanks to the long run by George and a 2-yard touchdown dive by Murphy with just one second left on the clock. But the Dons dominated the second half and could have scored more points. Their opening drive was impressive as they used eight runs to go 43 yards down to the St. Mary’s 25. But when they tried to go to the air, St. Mary’s defensive back Ryan Coogler made a leaping interception of Gary Davenport’s pass to temporarily save his team’s lead. Davenport completed just one pass in the game, but it was a big one, a 50-yard bomb that set up Russell’s tying touchdown.