Prep football: Justin-Siena's comeback dooms Redwood

Nov. 7--NAPA -- The Redwood High football team saw its win slip away -- quite literally.

The Giants, who led for most of Friday's MCAL game against Justin-Siena, fell victim to late turnovers in a 33-22 loss that coach Jon Hirsch called "tough to swallow."

Redwood (2-7, 2-4) held a 22-13 lead going into the fourth quarter, but while the Braves scored three touchdowns, the Giants had two turnovers.

"We felt like we kind of gave this one away," Hirsch said. "Both sides kept fighting right at the end, but they made way more big plays than we did."

Once Justin-Siena took a late lead, the Giants seemed to be driving for a score of their own. Quarterback Jake Anderson ran up the left sideline for a 17-yard gain, but a Braves defender punched the ball loose as Anderson was stretching for a possible first down.

On the Giants' last-gasp effort, Anderson tossed an interception that put an end to any hope of a victory.

Everything seemed to be going the visitors' way early in that final period, but Justin's Jordan Grubbs fielded a punt no one expected him to. He took the ball 61 yards to the end zone, completing a play Justin-Siena coach credited with his team's turnaround.

"That was a massive play," Braves coach Rich Cotruvo said. "That was a key play that sparked us along."

Less than five minutes later, Grubbs scored again on a 74-yard catch-and-run that at first seemed like it was going to be a minimal gain on a slant pattern.

The score gave Justin (4-5, 4-2) the lead,

and a touchdown from Brandon Garcia with less than a minute to go sealed it.

"Football is a game of inches, sure, but it's also a game of big plays," Hirsch said. "(The Braves) made the big plays tonight when it really counted."

But Redwood wasn't without its own big plays.

The Giants scored their first touchdown by running the ball basically right up the middle of the field. Anderson scored on a 1-yard dive to complete the score.

Following that play, the Braves got their first of many big plays on the night as quarterback Eddie Aguayo rambled in from 78 yards out.

Redwood went to the ground again, behind some big scrambles by Anderson -- who led the Giants on the ground with 85 yards on 16 carries -- to tally another score as Tim Parks bashed in from the 4-yard line.

Redwood closed out the first half with a safety after forcing Aguayo to intentionally ground the ball in the end zone.

Anderson found the end zone again to start the second half, as he went in on a 19-yard quarterback draw.

E-mail John Swartz at jswartz@marinij.com

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