St. Francis football loses in stunning fashion to Calabasas
CALABASAS — In a much-anticipated clash between a pair of undefeated and high-ranked football teams, Calabasas High walked away from its home field having made a statement, while St. Francis was left thoroughly dejected.
The Golden Knights struggled mightily on offense throughout and also struggled in containing the athletic Coyotes on the other side of the ball en route to a disheartening 34-0 loss on Friday night at Calabasas High.
“Our lack of execution on both sides of the ball,” said Golden Knights Coach Jim Bonds of what was most disappointing to him. “When that happens and you’re playing a good football team, that’s gonna be the result.”
St. Francis (4-1), ranked No. 2 in the CIF Southern Section Southeast Division, mustered just 70 yards of offense, as All-Area running back Areg Nazarian was contained on the outside and plugged up on the inside to the tune of 49 yards in 15 carries. Quarterback Miles Bryant threw for just 21 yards and was sacked 11 times.
“Our pass protection needs to improve,” said Bonds, who was also without starting left tackle Cade Mockary. “It’s been a point of emphasis.”
Defensively, St. Francis hung tough, tallying three sacks with two from Gabriel Grbavac. But the speed of the receiving corps for Calabasas (6-0) was too much to contain for as often as the Golden Knights defense was on the field.
“We had to pick our poison,” Bonds said. “They’re well-coached. Casey [Claussen] does a good job.”
Claussen formerly played under Bonds at Alemany before Bonds’ days at St. Francis.
Calabasas, the top-ranked team in the Western Division, was winless in 2013 before Claussen took over the coaching duties ahead of the 2014 season. The Coyotes returned to the playoffs and went 6-6 last year, which included a 44-7 loss to St. Francis.
Stockpiled with more than a reported two dozen transfers, many of them prognosticated to be headed to Division I colleges, Calabasas has turned into a player under the reins of Claussen.
Quarterback Tristan Gebbia had three total touchdowns and was 22 of 33 for 358 yards passing for two scores, as the Coyotes led, 14-0, after the first quarter, 21-0, at the half and, 27-0, after three. Six Coyotes targets caught balls, with Brian Hightower hauling in seven catches for 117 yards and a score.
Calabasas struggled with penalties, particularly personal fouls and blocks in the back, and at least a half-dozen first-quarter drops, but overcame its shortcomings with speed and athleticism.
“They’re as athletic as advertised,” Bonds said.
The defeat was the most lopsided for the Golden Knights since a 42-7 loss at Lompoc in the first round of the CIF playoffs in 2012 and also broke a 14-game regular season winning streak and a 14-game nonleague streak of victories.
Trailing, 21-0, with 7:14 to go in the first half, the Golden Knights began their best drive of the game.
A Bryant 13-yard run with just more than 6:30 left accounted for the biggest play of the first half and the team’s initial first down. Aided mightily by a Coyotes personal foul, St. Francis marched on as Nazarian had seven carries for 28 yards, but was ruled short of the goal line on fourth and goal from the 1 to end the half.
Calabasas went for it on fourth and 10 from the St. Francis 19 after three straight dropped balls and converted on a touchdown when Gebbia hit Hightower for a 7-0 lead after the first drive of the game.
The St. Francis defense held the next two drives until Maquel Dismuke took a screen pass 54 yards for a 14-0 lead.
Gebbia scrambled in from five yards for a 21-0 second-quarter lead as the Golden Knights were outgained, 248-73, in the first half before tallying negative yards in the second.
Timing is never great for a loss of Friday’s nature, but it was the third of four straight road games for St. Francis and comes just a week before the team travels to Salesian to open up defense of its Angelus League title.
“We just gotta take our lumps from this game and pick ourselves up,” Bonds said. “We’ve got Salesian to start league next week.”