Playing without its number one quarterback, the Yosemite Badgers football team could not overcome costly mistakes in a 19-14 loss to the Hanford Bullpups last Friday night in Neighbor Stadium.
It all began after the opening kickoff went out of bounds and had to be kicked again.
On the re-kick, the Badgers' return specialist Jon McNamara watched as he ball rolled toward the sideline marker and out of bounds. Before McNamara could react, Hanford's Javantae Farmah recovered it at the Yosemite nine-yard line.
Three plays later the Bullpups took a 7-0 lead on a Conner West three-yard touchdown reception from Bryant Furtado.
Except for a seven-play drive that ended in a 35-yard Hanford field goal, the Badgers controlled the game, they just couldn't get the ball into the end zone.
Yosemite was playing all-purpose running back Jackson Glines at quarterback. The 6-foot junior was filling in for Jesse Lownsbury, who was out of action with a virus and did not make the trip with the team.
"Both teams matched up very well physically," Yosemite head coach Aaron Eames said. "It was those few plays where they were able to execute, and it swung the game their way."
Glines, running out of the shotgun, stacked up the yardage and his ability to slip through the defensive line kept Hanford off-balance most of the night. Glines gained 135 yards on 27 carries and completed 7 of 17 passes for another 63 yards. Senior Jeff Shackleford added a season high of 9 rushes for 62 yards.
In the second quarter, the Badgers were on the move with a second down and eight on the Bullpups' 32-yard line when the Yosemite center snapped the ball over Glines' head for a 24-yard loss.
After shutting down the Bullpups possession, Yosemite mounted a determined drive that consumed 12 plays and eight minutes.
This time however, the Badgers were not to be denied. After picking up 14 yards and a first down on a Glines run, one play late, Eric Sotelo scored for the Badgers and sent the two teams into the locker room at the intermission with Yosemite trailing 10-7.
Yosemite was forced to punt on its first possession of the half giving the football to the Bullpups, who took only nine seconds to put up another six points when on the first play of the second half West broke through the middle and ran 63 yards to the end zone.
But the Badgers answered with a 16-play, 80-yard drive, which was capped by a 3-yard TD run by Sotelo to close within 17-14.
The Badgers were still in the game when, in the fourth quarter on a fourth and nine at the Yosemite 25, the center snapped the ball high over the punter's head and Hanford added two more points for the safety giving it a 19-14 lead.
