Young guns spark Norco

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Norco finally clamped down on defense and held Corona Santiago to only one first down in the fourth quarter, allowing the Cougars to win their Mountain View League opener, 28-21, at Santiago.

‘We kind of came together as one,’ said senior middle linebacker Dallas Kelley. ‘We dropped in our zones the way we were supposed to and shut down the rush.’

The biggest play for Norco’s defense actually came early in the third quarter, when Santiago sophomore quarterback Brandon Connette came in for his only series. Operating from the shotgun formation, the ball was snapped over his head and recovered by the Cougars inside the Santiago five-yard line.
Richie Lopez then scored on a one-yard run to give Norco its first lead of the game, 21-14.

Santiago managed to tie the score, but Lopez scored his second touchdown on a 10-yard run with 7:47 left and the defense didn’t let that lead slip away.

Norco defensive end Jared Koster pressured the passer throughout the final quarter and was instrumental in stopping the Santiago drives. ‘He’s only a junior,’ Norco Coach Todd Gerhart reminded me after the game.

The Cougars have a number of non-seniors contributing. Lopez is a junior, Joseph Smith, who scored on a 35-yard touchdown run on the first possession of the second half, is a sophomore, as is weakside linebacker Brandon Brown.

- Dan Arritt