Replacing their senior starting quarterback, Kody Vasquez, who suffered a broken wrist in last week’s loss to Tamalpais, seemed no easy task for the Giants. But, the transition is smoother when quarterbacking runs in your family; junior Tommy Vasquez, the new quarterback, is Kody’s younger brother, and the cousin of Brady Weingart. Weingart is the former Marin County Athletic League player of the year and quarterback for the Redwood Giants and Cal Bears.
The transition is also smoother when your defense and special teams combine for four touchdowns. In Friday night’s 55-21 win over the Napa Grizzlies, senior Ashlin Quach broke two kickoffs free for long touchdowns, his second consecutive game scoring on a kickoff. The Giants also blocked a punt in the third quarter, which senior Ronan Ralston scooped up to score. Their last unconventional touchdown of the night came when senior Erik Johnson batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage, falling into the hands of junior Ben Vaughn, who ran it 30 yards down the sideline into the endzone. The night would have looked even worse for Napa’s special teams if penalty flags had not cost the Giants. Senior Hayden Donehower returned a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown, but both were called back for illegal blocks.
With the spectacular performance by the Giants’ special teams, Tommy Vasquez didn’t have much to do; he only attempted nine passes, completing seven of them for 57 yards. Most of the attempts were screen passes or short sideline throws, but his night was highlighted by a 22-yard completion to Ralston down the sideline.
Redwood also dominated in the ground game. Senior Sean Cunneen ran for 67 yards on 13 attempts, scoring three touchdowns. With a big lead, junior Ben Harp also put on a show, rushing for 18 yards and punching in his first touchdown of the year.
Early on, however, the Grizzlies’ run game torched the Giants. They ran for 184 yards in the first half, scoring three touchdowns and keeping it a one-score game at halftime. But the Giants’ defense adjusted in the second half, packing the box tight and forcing Napa to beat them over the top. This strategy worked to perfection, holding the Grizzlies scoreless for the remainder of the game. Senior Miles Harrison led Redwood with nine tackles, followed by Vaughn with seven and senior Zach Frender with six.
With the blowout win over Napa, the Giants will move to 4-4 overall and 2-2 in Redwood Empire league-play games. They host Justin-Siena next Saturday, Oct. 28, at 2 p.m.
