Paraclete Takes Command in 2nd Half to Win, 21-0

Paraclete High appeared to be grossly undermanned when it took the Larrabee Stadium field in Ventura to meet St. Bonaventure on Thursday.

But the small 26-man squad of Paraclete took charge in the second half and running back George Ordaz rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown to lead the Spirits to a 21-0 win over St. Bonaventure in a nonleague opener for both teams.

Ordaz, a 5-foot-10, 200-pound senior, broke open a scoreless game in the third quarter, breaking three tackles on a nine-yard run with 9 minutes 25 seconds left in the quarter to give Paraclete a 6-0 lead.

Running mate John Harris (nine carries, 42 yards) gave Paraclete a 14-0 lead on the Spirits’ next possession, capping a nine-play, 57-yard drive with a five-yard run.

Harris raced eight yards for a touchdown with 1:45 left to lock up the victory for first-year Coach Jim Nattoli.

“It feels good to get the first one,” Nattoli said. “I just wanted them to hit hard and they responded well and the defense played with intensity.”

“George (Ordaz) was a powerhouse again tonight, like always,” Nattoli added.

“Paraclete was very physical and we made some mistakes on some scoring opportunities that took us out of the game,” St. Bonaventure Coach Jon Mack said.

Running back Tony Noblin led the St. Bonaventure offense with 36 yards.