By Pete Borello
This is not your father’s St. Francis High football team. Heck, it’s not even your older brother’s.
The new-look Lancers proved in last Friday’s season opener that they don’t have to rely on the running game to be successful.
“We can throw the ball a little bit more,” St. Francis head coach Mike Mitchell said after his team decaffeinated Capuchino 40-7. “We feel like we’ve added a dimension we haven’t had in awhile.”
A dimension Capuchino apparently wasn’t aware of. The visiting Mustangs opened the game by crowding the line, daring the Lancers to air it out.
Senior quarterback Kyle Spraker happily complied, tossing three touchdown passes — all in the first half.
Spraker’s first scoring strike came on the team’s third play from scrimmage, a short pass to halfback Justin Sieber that turned into a 45-yard touchdown. On the Lancers’ next possession, Spraker connected with receiver Jeff Riccoboni, who slipped past the defense for a 16-yard TD.
After St. Francis extended its lead to 17-0 early in the second quarter on a 27-yard field goal by Ryan Lee, Spraker was at it again. This time he found receiver Andrew Smythe, who hauled in a 32-yard pass with a lunging grab in the end zone.
Spraker finished 5-of-6 passing for 108 yards, with only a dropped ball in the end zone marring his completion percentage.
“Kyle did a good job,” Mitchell said. “He made some nice throws.”
St. Francis’ next two possessions resulted in touchdowns as well, but both came the old-fashioned way: on the ground.
Defensive back Matt DeAlba set up the first of these scores by intercepting a pass at the Capuchino 32. A play later, Sieber started right, then cut back left on a nifty run that put him across the goal line.
Lee’s extra point pushed the lead to 31-0, prompting Mitchell to rest some of his starters with almost eight minutes left in the half.
The Lancers didn’t let down, however. The defense continued to dominate Capuchino, which struggled to move the ball forward an inch, let alone a yard. The Mustangs didn’t make a first down until the fourth quarter and totaled just 85 yards; the Lancers had 85 yards after their first two drives and finished with 209.
With six minutes left before halftime, St. Francis defensive end Travis Martin recovered a fumble at the Capuchino 18. This led to a 5-yard touchdown scamper by running back Tevita Naufahu.
The Lancers added two more points prior to intermission, as lineman Jeff Delva sacked Mustangs quarterback Ricardo Garcia for a safety.
St. Francis emptied its bench in the second half and the game, thankfully, went to a running clock.
“We were thrilled to be able to get everyone in the game,” said Mitchell, who used three quarterbacks and had 13 players rush the ball.
St. Francis might not get an opportunity to do this again this season, though, as the schedule only gets more difficult.
Friday’s 7:30 p.m. game at Oak Grove begins a treacherous streak of five road games that also includes heavyweights De La Salle, Los Gatos and Valley Christian.
“It was a good break, but it doesn’t show where we are right now,” said all-league fullback Will Taufoou, who rushed for 18 yards in limited action Friday. “I don’t think (the Mustangs) were a good team — Oak Grove is real good.”
Mitchell concurred,
“Oak Grove is going to be a test.”
