Austyn Gubac runs the ball while Sebastian Lupian blocks. Photo courtesy of Tom Santillan

GALT, CA (MPG) - Galt's junior varsity football team made the trip to Rosemont Oct. 9 and came home on the wrong end of a thriller, dropping a 28-26 decision in a game that was not settled until the final whistle blew.

The Warriors dug themselves an early hole, surrendering 14 first-quarter points while managing just a single touchdown of their own. Rosemont tacked on eight more in the second quarter to carry a 22-14 lead into the locker room. And when the two teams traded six points apiece in the third, Galt trailed 28-20 heading into the final period.

That is when the Warriors dug in. Galt's defense pitched a shutout over the final 12 minutes, giving the offense a chance to complete the comeback. The Warriors punched in one more touchdown to climb within two points, but the rally stalled there.

The ground game carried the offense all night long. Galt piled up 232 rushing yards on 39 carries — a healthy 5.9 yards per attempt — and scored three of its four touchdowns on the ground. Sophomore Michael Silva led the way with 94 yards on 15 carries, consistently moving the chains and keeping the Rosemont defense honest. Freshman Grayson Tassell added 62 yards on just eight carries, ripping off a 20-yard run for the team's longest gain of the night. Freshman Austyn Gubac chipped in 49 yards on nine carries and found the end zone twice, while Bryson Garbarino (19 yards) and Leland Suttenfield (7 yards) rounded out a balanced, committee-style backfield that kept fresh legs in the game.

Through the air, sophomore quarterback Chance George completed 2 of 5 passes for 15 yards and a touchdown, good for a quarterback rating of 87.5. His scoring strike went to sophomore Brody Patterson, who hauled in a 13-yard touchdown catch — the team's longest reception of the evening. Gubac also caught one pass for two yards out of the backfield. All told, Galt racked up 247 total yards and 332 all-purpose yards for a solid night's work that simply was not quite enough.

Defensively, the Warriors got a team-high five tackles from freshman Adan Francisco Chaidez, who was active all over the field with four solo stops. Freshman Aaron Byrd added four tackles, while Charles Patterson and Jonathan Jimenez each finished with three. Jimenez was a disruptive force up front, recording the team's only tackle for loss and its lone sack, dropping the Rosemont quarterback for a four-yard loss. Max Matos, Andrew Lee, Colin Azevedo, and Andy Sanchez each tallied two tackles, and Victor Gutierrez-Landin chipped in an assist as the Warriors held Rosemont scoreless over the final quarter.

Special teams had its moments as well. Hank Van Steyn handled the kickoff duties, booming five kicks for 125 yards with a 30-yard long. In the return game, Galt totaled 85 yards on four kickoff returns. Gubac was busy, bringing back three kicks for 55 yards, while Tassell took one back 30 yards to set the offense up with good field position. Van Steyn also handled the placekicking, converting 2 of 3 extra points. In a two-point game, that lone miss loomed large.

The loss was a tough one for a Galt squad that battled to the very end and outscored Rosemont in the second half. The Warriors will look to build on the positives — a punishing running game, a defense that clamped down late, and a resilient fourth-quarter effort — as they move forward in their season.