SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - For the first time this season, the Galt Warriors walked off the field Friday night on the right side of the scoreboard, riding a punishing ground game and a near-flawless night from their quarterback to a 42-31 non-league victory over Natomas High School.

The Warriors piled up 493 rushing yards on 48 carries – an average of 10.3 yards every time they handed the ball off – and turned a tight first half into a comfortable cushion they never surrendered.

Galt led 20-19 at the break in a game that traded blows early, but the Warriors seized control coming out of the locker room. With 5:16 left in the third quarter, Galt had stretched the margin to 28-19, and the lead held at 36-25 in the opening minutes of the fourth after both teams found the end zone. When Galt scored again with 3:56 to play to make it 42-25, the outcome was all but settled. Natomas answered one last time to pull within 42-31 with two minutes remaining, but the Nighthawks never got closer.

“I was really proud of the way our offense played Friday night,” Galt Head Coach JJ Woodward said. “We rushed for almost 500 yards, averaged over 10 yards a carry, and Rob was very efficient in the passing game, completing five of six passes with two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions. What I liked most was that it wasn’t just one guy. We had a lot of different players contribute, our offensive line did a great job creating opportunities, opening holes, and when Natomas answered, our kids kept responding. We’ve been talking about playing together, handling adversity and finishing, and Friday night I thought we took a big step in all three of those areas. There are still plenty of things we need to clean up, but this was the kind of progress we’ve been looking for. I think the biggest thing we can take away from this game is that when all 11 guys do their jobs, this offense is hard to stop.”

Senior Carlos Sterni was the headliner, needing only five carries to rack up 168 yards and two touchdowns, including a 92-yard sprint that stands as the longest play of the Warriors’ season. Senior James Gilbert was the workhorse, carrying 14 times for 104 yards and two scores of his own, giving Galt a pair of 100-yard rushers on the night. Junior Mark Grammer added 69 yards on two carries with a long of 68, senior Arthur Cordova ground out 54 yards on 11 attempts, junior Richard Geier contributed 48 yards on seven carries, sophomore Richard Akers added 23 on the ground, senior Taylor White chipped in 16 and senior Marcus Bell 11.

Senior quarterback Robert Rubio did not need to throw often, and he did not waste the chances he got, completing five of six passes for 65 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions for a 156.3 rating. Both scoring strikes went to Akers, who caught four balls for 63 yards, including a 36-yarder. Sterni hauled in the other reception. Rubio also handled the Warriors’ lone punt, a 42-yarder.

“Honestly, what made the game successful was that we didn’t give up on each other, and no matter what happened we stayed together as a team and finished the job this week,” Rubio said.

Defensively, Galt was led by Gilbert with six total tackles, including a tackle for loss, a forced fumble recovery and a quarterback hurry. Geier finished with five tackles, a tackle for loss and a seven-yard sack, while Akers matched him with five stops, three pass breakups and a 23-yard interception return. White had three tackles, a tackle for loss and a five-yard sack. Senior Parker Millard added three tackles, Sterni had four, Bell finished with two tackles and three pass breakups, and junior Dominick Gonzalez recorded two tackles and two hurries. Junior Alberto Arroyo also pressured the quarterback and handled the kicking duties, converting a point-after attempt. As a unit, the Warriors registered 34 tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks for 20 yards, seven pass breakups, an interception and a fumble recovery.

Galt totaled 558 yards of offense and 603 all-purpose yards, with Cordova returning a kickoff 17 yards and Bell adding a five-yard return.

Woodward also announced the team’s Warrior of the Week.

“Our Warrior of the Week is senior Carlos Sterni,” Woodward said. “Carlos rushed for 168 yards on just five carries, including a 92-yard run, and gave us explosive plays at some really important moments. But Carlos being selected isn’t just about the numbers. He brought energy, toughness and confidence to our team, and he made the most of every opportunity he got. He was a huge part of this win and is very deserving of Warrior of the Week.”