Vista Relies on 4th-Quarter Drive : Rancho Cordova Limited to One First Down in Last Half

For three quarters Saturday night, the defense from Rancho Cordova High School in Sacramento shut down Vista.

But Vista senior quarterback Chris Cannon, who started in place of injured Billy Faraimo, took control in the fourth quarter and led his team to a 10-7 nonleague football victory in front of 5,000 at Vista High.

Cannon directed a 66-yard, 17-play scoring drive that took 7 minutes 35 seconds of the fourth quarter. Cannon capped the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run with 4:25 to play.

Cannon had rushed for only four yards in the first half. But on the drive, Cannon rushed 6 times for 25 yards.

Vista’s record improved to 6-3.

Vista’s defense had limited Rancho Cordova to 66 yards and 3 first downs.

But in the second half, the Lancers gained only 18 yards, all of which came in the third quarter. Rancho Cordova had only one first down in the second half.

Vista also shut down running back J.D. Davidson, who had rushed for 1,512 yards in eight games before Saturday. Davidson had 39 yards on 16 carries.

“Their defensive line killed us,” Rancho Cordova Coach Max Miller said. “We could not handle their two down guys (Tamasi Amituanai and Clarence Loa).”

Rancho Cordova’s defense played well in the first three quarters as well.

An interception by defensive back Eric Romo set up Rancho Cordova’s only score. Romo intercepted Cannon’s pass at the Vista’s 44-yard line and returned it to the 27 with 9:30 to play in the second quarter.

After Davidson ran twice for six yards, junior quarterback Bryan Davis threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to running back Courtland Bell, although Vista’s defense nearly stopped that play, too. Linebacker David Harrington tipped the ball high in the air. It landed in Bell’s arms.

Rancho Cordova, the third-ranked team in the Sac-Joaquin Section, dropped to 6-2-1. Vista, The Times’ seventh-ranked team in San Diego County, won its first game three weeks after losing to Mt. Carmel and Orange Glen.

Christian 34, San Diego 13--Quarterback David Jeremiah threw touchdown passes of 15 and 12 yards to David Beezer to lead Christian High School (5-4 overall, 3-1 in league play) in a City Central League game at home. Jeremiah also ran for two touchdowns, scoring on runs of 26 and 3 yards. Robert Murphy added a 9-yard touchdown run for Christian. Jimmy Kegler paced San Diego (1-8, 1-3) by returning a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and a punt 58 yards for another score.