Giants run past Delta for football win

By Nick Giannandrea

COS ATHLETICS

College of the Sequoias' football team delivered a breakout offensive performance against San Joaquin Delta.

Behind quarterback Reilly Garcia, the Giants amassed 648 yards while rolling to a 42-7 nonconference win over the Mustangs on Sept. 16 at Sequoias Stadium.

Sequoias, ranked No. 25 in the state by the JC Athletic Bureau, combined for 451 yards during losses to No. 6 Butte (23-20 in overtime) and No. 1 San Mateo (49-21) to open the season.

"We're really pleased with the outcome obviously," Giants coach Travis Burkett said. "I think the biggest thing we can build off is we're pleased with the process about how our week went.  We feel like the score and getting the victory was reflective of the effort put in during the practice week.

"The way the guys practiced, their practice habits became game reality. Our Tuesday practice was as good of a practice as we've had here in our time with this program. And to do that coming off a tough road loss after a tough home loss in overtime says a lot about the character of this team." 

Garcia passed for 295 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for a score against Delta (0-3).

The sophomore from Gilbert, Ariz., directed a five-play, 41-yard drive on Sequoias' first possession -- completing passes of 9 yards to Wailoa Manuel (Honolulu, Hawaii) and 12 yards to Dylan Gurule (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) and rushing for 17 yards -- that he capped with a 1-yard touchdown run.

Garcia struck for a 77-yard touchdown pass to Noah Williams (McKinney, Texas) on the second play of the Giants' next drive, and they were off to the races, eventually scoring on four of six first-half possessions.

James Adams (South Lake Tahoe) scored on a 3-yard run and Jaylen Laudermilk (Ashburn, Va.) broke free for a 67-yard scoring run as Sequoias built a 28-0 first half lead.

Powered by an offensive line featuring left tackle Willie Asalele (American Samoa), left guard Clayton Loney (Atascadero), center Jakob Guzman (Corcoran), right guard Hector Hernandez (Gallop, N.M.) and right tackle Karson Seaman (Los Molinos), the Giants passed for 183 yards and rushed for 166 yards in the first half.

Sequoias put the score out of reach in the second half as Garcia connected with Gurule for an 11-yard touchdown in the third quarter, and John Friend (Pearland, Texas) scored on tackle-breaking 25-yard run to put the Giants ahead 42-7 with 3 minutes and 54 seconds left in the game.

The Giants finished with 353 yards rushing and had five ball carriers -- Laudermilk, Kenroy Higgins (Oakland), Gurule, Friend and Clark Coleman (Vancouver, Wa.) -- gain at least 50 yards while averaging at least 4.9 yards per carry.

"What we encouraged our coaches and players to do is cut it loose a little bit," Burkett said. "What we tell our guys with the ball in their hands is once it gets past the designed execution of the play, you're the artist. 

"We had some very tough guys in the open field not only run on air but run through contact and run with contact and run for yards after contact and stay in bounds when they are supposed to. That needs to be commended." 

The Giants scored more than enough points for a defense that, save for one play, turned in its best performance of the season.

Sequoias held Delta to 188 yards, 72 of that coming on a touchdown pass from Nick Coronado to Simeon Sims. 

The Coronado to Sims strike was the only time the Mustangs reached Sequoias territory in the second half, and one of only three times in the game. The Giants blocked a Delta field goal attempt in the first quarter. The other Mustangs trip into Sequoias territory was wiped out on a sack by Andres Rodriguez (Delano).

The Giants controlled the line of scrimmage, limiting Delta to 18 yards rushing. 

In a team effort, Sequoias received tackles from 25 players, led by four each from Will Henderson (Immanuel-Reedley), Tovie Martin (Clovis) and Rodriguez. Rhett Sarvela (Boston) had two tackles and the Giants' other sack. He finished with two of Sequoias' nine tackles for losses.

"It all starts up front," Burkett said. "I'm really pleased with the way the guys in the box played. I loved the plan the staff put together."

Sequoias moves on to play at Shasta (1-2) at 6 p.m. Sept. 23.

The Giants return to Sequoias Stadium at 11 a.m. Sept. 30 to host Diablo Valley (1-2) in their final nonconference game.

Sequoias' Valley Conference opener is set for 1 p.m. Oct. 14 against defending champion Fresno City (1-2).

"We will definitely celebrate the individual accomplishments and the team win, no doubt," Burkett said. "But we're definitely not satisfied in some areas. We have to play much better and much cleaner to be the team we think we are."