GALT, CA (MPG) - For three quarters Friday night at Warrior Stadium, the Galt Warriors varsity football team looked like it was well on its way to an opening-night victory. But the visiting Franklin Yellowjackets (Stockton) had other plans, rallying in the fourth quarter to hand Galt a 26-21 non-league defeat.

The Warriors controlled the game deep into the second half, leading 20-6 with 3:33 remaining in the third quarter. But momentum swung hard in Franklin’s direction, including a Yellowjacket touchdown on a kickoff return, and with six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Galt’s lead had shrunk to 21-19. A Warrior turnover then handed the ball back to Franklin, and the Yellowjackets cashed it in for the go-ahead score. Galt was unable to answer, falling in a game it had firmly in hand.

Despite the outcome, Head Coach JJ Woodward saw plenty to build on.

“I thought there were a lot of positives to take away from our first game,” Woodward said. “For about three quarters, especially offensively, we showed what this football team is capable of becoming. We moved the ball well, had some really good connections in the passing game, and were able to establish our running game. We did have a few turnovers that hurt us, but those are correctable mistakes.”

The fourth quarter, however, revealed where the work needs to be done.

“The biggest thing we learned is that we have to finish,” Woodward said. “In the fourth quarter we got tired and started hurting ourselves. This week our focus is going to be on taking care of the football, eliminating penalties, improving our conditioning, finishing drives and, more than anything, staying together when adversity hits.

“I don’t think we need to reinvent anything. We showed for three quarters that we can play good football. Now we have to learn how to play that way for four quarters.”

(Note: Statistics are incomplete, reflecting action through roughly three quarters of play.)

Senior running back James Gilbert was the workhorse of the Galt offense, piling up 101 yards on 15 carries – a 6.7 yards-per-carry average – while also hauling in a 33-yard touchdown reception. 

His 134 all-purpose yards led the team, and his effort didn’t go unnoticed on the other side of the ball either, where he racked up a team-high eight tackles, including one for a loss.

“For Warrior of the Week, I would like to nominate James Gilbert,” Woodward said. “He really stood out to me with his effort, toughness and the way he continued to compete.”

Senior quarterback Robert Rubio was sharp through the air, completing six of eight passes (75%) for 97 yards and a touchdown while adding 16 yards on the ground. Sophomore Richard Akers was his favorite target, catching four passes for 51 yards, while senior Carlos Sterni added a 13-yard grab.

Senior Arthur Cordova punched in both of Galt’s rushing touchdowns, finishing with 25 yards on eight carries. Junior Richard Geier chipped in 24 yards on five carries, and senior Anthony Trejo ripped off a 14-yard run. As a team, the Warriors ground out 188 rushing yards and 285 yards of total offense.

Defensively, Trejo was all over the field with seven tackles, including a tackle for loss, while Geier added five tackles, a TFL and the team’s lone sack. Sterni contributed three solo stops. 

Senior Axel Olmos Virgen recorded a tackle for loss and recovered a fumble, junior Mark Grammer broke up a pass, and Akers came away with an interception to round out a defense that combined for 34 tackles and four tackles for loss.

The Warriors (0-1) will look to bounce back Friday, Sept. 4, when they host Golden Sierra at Galt Stadium.