Zane Pappas, JV Football, 10th Grade. Photo by Isabel Anzaldo
Broncs limit Boron to six first half points, nothing further
The Broncs JV team has a bounce back week as they cage the Bobcats of Boron.
Coming off the loss to Bishop, the Broncs had to regroup and refocus as Boron came to town for the final game of the year. The battle would decide who would finish in the runner up to Bishop in the HDL standings. Both teams would score all the points in the first half. The opening kickoff went to the Broncs and they went on a march. They took it down to the 15-yard line of the Bobcats. Jackson Price and Gabe Ross made the connection and gave the Broncs their first points of the night. Despite the PAT miss, the Kern Valley team took the 6-0 lead.
They tried to keep their offense on the field as they attempted the onside kick on the ensuing kickoff. It was successful and the Broncs squad had the ball back. They were well on their way to increasing the score margin, but the Bobcats defense forced a fumble and gave them the ball for the first time. Boron made the most of it as they drove 75 yards to even the score at 6-6.
With the ball back in their possession, Kern Valley did not waste time. They put themselves in scoring position to possibly regain the lead. It was the Price to Shiloh Galvan connection that gave the Broncs the lead once again. The 10-yard scoring toss was followed by the successful two-point conversion. The scoreboard showed the home Broncs with the 14-6 cushion. The half would end with this score as the teams went into the break.
While the offense was showcased the first half, it was the Kern Valley defense’s turn to strut their stuff in the second half. The Broncs offense thought they had put the game away twice, but both times penalties called back touchdowns. The Kern Valley defense took exception and made it a point to keep the Bobcats away from scoring. The third quarter ended with the score still sitting at 14-6 for the Broncs.
The game went into the fourth with both teams playing flip flop on possessions and could not find any scoring. It came down to a final Boron possession with the chance to even the score. The Bobcats were facing a mammoth hill as they were pinned deep on a masterful punt that put them down deep in their own zone. Another defensive stop closed out the last gasp effort. Galvan, proved he had hands on both sides of the ball as he picked off the Boron quarterback to give the Broncs the win and the bragging rights to second place in the HDL.
The Kern Valley offense totaled 251 yards. Price would throw for 128 yards with 15 completions. He connected with five different receivers on the night. Tye Humphers caught five for 41 yards, while Ryder Pappas grabbed five passes for 28 yards. Ross had two receptions for 35 yards and the touchdown. Galvan had two catches for 20 yards, while Zane Pappas caught one pass for four yards. The rushing yardage for the Broncs was 123 yards on 13 carries. Price led the team with six carries for 89 yards. R. Pappas had five touches for 30 yards, while Gavin Tibbet rushed once for four yards.
On the night, the Broncs defense picked off three Boron passes. Z. Pappas, R. Pappas, and Galvan each had one interception. The Kern Valley as a team had seven tackles that were credited. Humphers led the team with four tackles. Ethyn Henry had three tackles, including a sack. EJ Anderson had three tackles, with a sack. Galvan also recorded three tackles. Max Braughman followed with a pair of tackles. Getting credit for one tackle apiece were Braden Ege, Z. Pappas, Jaadyn Cleveland, Qwintin Paiseau, Tommy Pacheco, R. Pappas, Carlos Monzo, and Israel Padilla.
The Broncs head coach said, “With this win, the Kern Valley JV Broncs secured second place in the High Desert League, demonstrating resilience and a stellar defensive stand against a tough Boron squad. What a game. We knew Boron would be a formidable foe, and that was a tough, physical game. Both teams played hard and left it all on the field tonight. I am extremely proud of my team and how they competed until the end. Offensively, we did just enough to get it done, and the defense played phenomenal tonight. It was a very successful season for us, and I would just like to thank the boys for bringing it every day. These are a great group of young men, and I had a pleasure coaching them this year. Also, a special thanks to my coaching staff—Aaron LaFarga, Davin Lee, Kenny King, and Bill Chase—for all their efforts and countless hours put into coaching and developing these young men. This season’s success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the players and coaching staff, marking an outstanding end to a memorable season for the JV Broncs.”
