COD Football gets back on track with win over the Wildcats, 24-15

COD (1-2) played swarm defense as the Roadrunners grabbed six sacks and the offense found the end zone twice on the ground and once in the air as they won their first game of 2017, defeating the West LA Wildcats (0-3), 24-15.

Sophomore linebacker Austin Holt (Palatka, FL) led the team with nine total tackles, seven of which were solo, including a sack totaling a loss of ten yards and three tackles for loss totaling 29 yards, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the victory.

Freshman quarterback Noah Shoeman (Murray, UT) made the most of his first start of 2017, throwing for 11 of 18 for 142 yards and a touchdown, including a long of 35 yards, connecting with seven different receivers in the win.

Freshman kicker and punter Luis Castellanos (Cathedral City H.S.) dominated once again making all three of his extra point attempts and a 42 yard field goal, he also had three of his five punts hit within the 20 yard line, totaling 166 yards and had four of his five kickoffs go for touchbacks, averaging 65 yards per kick off on the evening.

Desert would get onto the scoreboard first as they took full advantage of the fumble recovery by Holt on the Wildcats 13 yard line. In four plays, freshman running back Tony Williams (Indio Shadow Hills) found the end zone for his first score of the year, giving the Roadrunners a 7-0 lead with 4:26 left in the first quarter.

The Roadrunners would add to that lead with 13:49 left in the first half, when Shoeman found freshman wide receiver Jaurice Thomas (South Elgin, IL) in the back corner of the end zone for his first touchdown of the season and after a Castellanos extra point, Desert led 14-0.

Big offensive plays would extend the lead for the Roadrunners as a huge 29 yard catch-and-run by freshman wide receiver Kerrion Ringo (Evansville (IN) F.J. Reitz) and an 18 yard run by sophomore running back Kamone Best (Goldsboro (NC) Eastern Wayne) kept a drive alive, setting up a 42 yard field goal by Castellanos with 8:32 left in the third quarter and giving Desert a 17-7 lead.

The Roadrunners would find the end zone again on a fourth down and two yards to go play on the Wildcats 5 yard line, as Best darted in for his first score of the season, with 9:30 left in the game, concluding an 11 play 70 yard drive which took up almost seven minutes.

Photo by Michael Bukraba (mebukraba@gmail.com)
Information, Photos & Story provided by COD Sports Information.