After a rocky start and a tough loss versus Center, the Knights came out of the locker room with a new purpose in life, and showed the prep sports community exactly what they are made of in 2023.
Because I am the stadium’s public address announcer during games, I can’t take the notes that inform long soliloquies on drive analysis, or individual player positioning or evaluate nuanced in-game adjustments… But I can tell you what I saw, and this was a team with a renewed sense of purpose on defense.
The defense began the game by forcing Lincoln to turn the ball over on 4th down. At one point, I called Knights linebacker Jesus Naranjo’s name four times in four plays. I had to look back at my roster to make sure I had the number right. Was it 20 or 30? Naranjo or Jonathan Fansler? Yes, I had it right… While Fansler would make his own highlights later, Naranjo was in on the first four tackles of the game.
The Knights allowed the Zebras a long 6-point pass in the middle of the first quarter, and the quarter ended 6-0.
The defense jumped back into action in the 2nd, with an interception by Corner/Quarterback Samuel Taylor, pinning Lincoln into the end zone to punt, and turning a bad snap into a safety. You weren’t seeing things. This wasn’t a baseball game. Midway through the 2nd, the score was 6-2.
An interception on a tipped ball by Tony Marez resulted in a 7-yard touchdown on a keeper/sweep to the right by Taylor.
With less than a minute to play, Taylor delivers an absolute dime to Marques Martin, sending the Knights to the locker room ahead 16-6 at the half.
Late in the third, Knights DB Joseph Sierra picks off Lincoln QB Brock Galer, allowing Samuel Taylor to take it to the house once more on the very next possession. At the end of three, the Knights had held the Zebras scoreless for two quarters and went to the 4th leading 22-6.
With 7:36 to play in the game, Lincoln’ QB’s Galer put the ball in the air for his favorite target, Michael Neely. Naranjo and Taylor were having a great game for the Knights, and no one could deny that Galer and Neely were having a great game on the other side of the ball as well.
At the 55-second mark, Sean Holmes put a bow on it and put six more on the scoreboard for Rio Linda.
Final Score: Rio Linda 28, Lincoln 13
Thanks to West Coast Preps for making this their “Game of the Week”, and thanks to the staff of Rio Linda High School on this “Staff and Administrators night”.
Next up for the Knights is a very hungry Cordova Lancers team, on the road at Rancho Cordova. The Lancers have played games in Fairfield and Merced over the last two weeks, and have been outscored 77-0. They will want to defend the home turf and they will be hungry for points. Game time is 7:30pm.
(Thanks to ViAnn Todd for the photos.)
