Northview Stops a Confused Sonora, 17-0

Early-season football games are often characterized by their mistakes rather than their action. But the oftentimes dull play is viewed as enlightening by the coaches.

“A couple of times, I looked out there at our defense and thought ‘Well that looks good to me,’ ” said Sonora High Coach Steve Silberman after his team’s opening-game loss to Northview, 17-0, at La Habra Stadium Friday night. “I don’t think they (the players) knew where they were supposed to be a lot of the times.”

Confusion should have been expected for Sonora considering it had only three returning letterman.

But mistakes were prevalent for everyone as the teams combined for 6 turnovers, 13 penalties and numerous dropped passes and fumbled snaps.

“It always happens in the first game,” Northview Coach Brian Beveridge said. “I guess you kind of have to expect it. We tell our kids whoever makes the fewer mistakes is going to win and that’s exactly what happened.”

The Vikings had the game’s first score shortly before halftime. The Vikings took possession on their own 47-yard line with 2:30 left and got their first sustained drive of the evening.

Northview went 53 yards in 6 plays. the score came on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Bill Gallis’ to Stan Farrar.

Mistakes dictated play in the second half. But the Raiders received a break when Northview running back Ron Brown fumbled and Chris Schenk recovered for Sonora on the Vikings’ 36-yard line.

However, two plays later a fumbled snap gave the ball back to Northview and the Vikings drove to their second touchdown. Running back Shawn Frausto capped the 78-yard, 10-play drive with a two-yard run off left tackle.

Angel Chavez later completed the night’s scoring with a 24-yard field goal.

The Vikings were led by Gallis, who completed 12 of 21 pass attempts for 124 yards, 1 touchdown and no interceptions.

Silberman, in his first year as a head coach, wasn’t overly concerned with the loss. “For us, this is really pre-season. True, I’m not the happiest person in the world losing 17-0 in our opening game but at least we take heart in the fact that these are non-league games and we have a chance to learn from our mistakes.”