Dana Hills Gets Ugly Victory

At least Dana Hills Coach Jack Murry was honest about his team’s 19-8 victory over University Thursday in a nonleague game.

“That’s the ugliest win I’ve ever seen in my life,” Murry said. “I’ve never heard of an embarrassing win, but that was one.”

But Murry acknowledged that Dana Hills, which came into the game 0-2, can’t exactly be picky about its victories.

The Dolphins rushed for only 23 yards and did not have a sustained drive all night. Fortunately, the Dolphins did have Jason Smith, who made the two biggest plays of the game.

Smith turned an 8-0 third-quarter deficit around in a hurry when he stole the ball from University running back Devin Defeo and ran 58 yards untouched the other way. Defeo was stood up at the line of scrimmage, and when he spun around, Smith was there to steal the ball.

Smith taunted University quarterback Ricco Roberson with the ball the last 20 yards and was called for a penalty that cost Dana Hills 15 yards and the conversion.

“Jason’s a good athlete,” Murry said. “He does stuff like that a lot.”

Dana Hills got the ball back at the University 21 when a high snap traveled 36 yards behind the line of scrimmage before Jeff Rosenberger fell on it. Smith scored on a two-yard run five plays later to give Dana Hills a 12-8 lead with 1:09 left in the third quarter.

University (0-3) threatened in the fourth quarter, when Stuart Meurer bolted 57 yards off tackle to Dana Hills’ 28, but three running plays netted a loss of three yards and the Trojans were forced to punt.