Game of the Week: Castle Park 13, Santana 3
Who would have thought that a game that spent most of its time with a 3-0 score would provide so many fireworks before the end?
On Friday night at Castle Park the final frame provided some excitement, as Luq Barcoo scored the go-ahead touchdown and reeled in the game-icing interception to lead the host Trojans (2-1) to a 13-3 come from behind victory against the visiting Santana Sultans (2-1).
The team swapped punts to open up the contest, and then Santana would capitalize on an errant Jordan Danielson pass that found its way into the arms of the Trojans’ Tanner Weiss. After a 60-yard connection from Frankie Gutierrez to Dakota Harp, Jacob Hampson split the uprights with a 23-yard field goal to give the Sultans the 3-0 lead.
It would stay at that margin until the fourth quarter.
Opening the quarter following a Santana punt, Castle Park’s Barcoo found daylight off the left side of his line and scampered for a 23-yard touchdown run to give the Trojans a 6-3 lead. If the blocked extra point left the home fans feeling a little uneasy, the feeling would soon be alleviated two Sultans possessions later.
With Gutierrez driving down for the potential go-ahead score, a tipped pass found its way into the hands of Castle Park’s Barcoo, who took his second pick of the night back the other way to give the Trojans a chance to put it away. A Jordan Danielson 3-yard touchdown run would give Castle Park a 13-3 lead, but unfortunately, the fireworks were far from over.
Following what should have been the final play of the game (as Santana failed to convert a fourth-down conversion), several punches were thrown by both sides leading to offsetting penalties and the clock being wound down to zero with both teams off the field. Castle Park’s Mylik Steen and Angelo Trujillo were ejected from the game for their part in the scrum.
Santana will travel to Francis Parker next Friday night to take on the Lancers, while the Trojans will play their third straight home game of the early season against Clairemont.
