Coastside Cougar Midgets command Bay Cities Bulldogs to heel

Saturday September 22, 2007—Proving once again barking dogs seldom bite, the # 1 Coastside Cougar Midgets swiftly beat the #4 San Mateo Bulldogs 22-0 at last Saturday night’s game under the lights at John Francis Field.  The teams were evenly matched—a rarity for Coastside. 

The overall strategy of Head Coach Mike Seaton prevailed.  He runs a tight ship, his players play clean but tough and are led by running backs Chewy Huerta Jr. and Blake Kastl and quarterbacks Nate Seaton and Joey Erdie, all smart on the field and off. 

The game kickoff by the Bulldogs was a great example of speed and smarts.  Blake Kastl recovered the attempted on side kick, carrying the ball over 30 yards for a Cougar first down.  The Cougar offense drove hard, but didn’t score until the end of the quarter when the Bulldog quarterback threw a deep pass which was intercepted by cornerback Timma Cruz near the 5 yard line.  Blocking by guardsmen Austin Krieger, Neal Seaton, center Dalton James and tackle Jose Uribe, allowed the Cougars to run it up the middle for the first touchdown.  Chewy Huerta Jr. kicked for the PAT, putting the Cougars at 8, Bulldogs 0 by the end of the first quarter. 

The start of the second quarter sent the Bulldogs whimpering back to their crate.  If the primary job of defensive linemen is to gain penetration past the line of scrimmage and disrupt offensive plays, Coastside Cougar Defensive Coordinator Bobby Ellison’s training is right on the money.  Defensive tackle Erik Procopio made a ferocious QB sack at the Bulldog’s 34 yard line.  The next plays had defensive tackles Will Smith, Matt Young, Jacob Spaeth, and Sean McCaffrey exploding off the line with lots of power and forward drive forcing the Bulldogs to punt on the 50 yard line.  Offensive Coordinator Dave Gibbs is exercising the arms of his quarterbacks, allowing more passing plays, which are always crowd pleasers.  While interceptions are a risk, the Coastside Cougar defensive is ready to pounce.  Cornerback Brian Martinez made a great outside tackle after a Bulldog pass interception, showing good instincts and anticipation—preventing the Bulldogs from getting to a first down. 

On the third play of the third quarter, the Bulldogs tried a sweep.  The Bulldog’s running back was deep in his territory when defensive end Joey Erdie tackled him for a loss of 15 yards, forcing the Bulldogs to punt.  The Cougar Orange offensive guards Kennedy Palmer, Neal Seaton, offensive tackles Manny Arellanes, Marshall Egger and tight end Sergio Covarrubias, blocked for running back Chewy Huerta Jr. like dog catchers picking up strays.  In one play, Sergio Covarrubias made two blocks.  The hard drive didn’t result in a score, but an incredibly deep punt by Chewy Huerta Jr. choked the Bulldogs when running back Timma Cruz with breakaway speed tackled the Bulldog receiver on the 15 yard line.  The Cougar defense kept the Bulldogs in their dog run.  On a fourth and long, the Bulldogs had to punt, but the power of Cougar defensemen Joseph Lowman, Patrick Meyers and Taylor James forced an unnatural punter pass, which was intercepted by safety Blake Kastl on the 3 yard line.  The Coastside Cougars score, but miss the PAT, bringing the Coastside Cougar lead to 14, Bulldogs 0 at the close of the third quarter.

Kicker Chewy Huerta Jr. showed off his strong leg and good kicking mechanics with a deep kickoff which had the Bulldogs down the ball on the 5 yard line.  The Cougar Defense was on fire.  Cornerback Taylor James proved tough to get past and jammed the Bulldog QB.   The very next play had defensive guard Will Smith staying low and firing off the ball, sacking the Bulldog QB behind the goal line, forcing a fumble.  Defensive lineman Sergio Covarrubias was quick to spot the fumble, fetched the ball and turned the play into a touchdown with the PAT.  The final score: Coastside Cougars 22, Bulldogs 0. 

Coastside Cougars rule, while the Bay Cities Bulldogs drool.  1, 2, 3…GO COASTSIDE!