Farinha, St. Vincent run by Clear Lake

PETALUMA — Ask St. Vincent running back Kris Farinha if he prefers offense to defense, and you get a noticeable pause before he responds. An unusual response given he is the Mustangs all-time career rushing leader.

However, his hesitation does produce a glimpse into the character of the senior, who is the heart and soul of the Mustangs. Farinha is also the team’s leading tackler and it’s his relentless push to excel that drives the Mustangs.

Farinha was as at his best Saturday afternoon against visiting Clear Lake in a North Central League I South game, rushing for 203 yards and three touchdowns in the Mustangs 42-6 win at Kiely Field.

Farinha pushed his season total to 1,079 yards rushing to become only the second player in the school’s 64-year history to reach 1,000 yards in seven games. Ray Tamblyn accomplished the feat in 1998. Farinha also joins Tamblyn as the school leader with three career 200-yard games.

“I like both, but with every game I’m liking offense even more,” said Farinha, who is being courted by Sacramento State, Davis, and Cal-Poly.

He then offered a positive critique on the new all-purpose field at Yarbrough Stadium. “The first game against Willits was a little odd. I had to adjust to a lot of things, but after another week of practice on the field, I think it’s a great ... I love it.”

A guess a few extra days of getting acquainted with the artificial surface made a big difference.After the Mustangs’ defense stopped Clear Lake on the game’s first two plays, Kevin Burt was stripped of the ball struggling for extra yardage. Mitch Reddick recovered at the Cardinals’ 40. Farinha busted up the middle for 20 yards and then outside for another 20 and the touchdown.

After another Clear Lake four-and-out series, Mustangs’ quarterback Josh Wheless found Nick Eastham in the corner for 17 yards and a 14-0 lead. Eastham also had an 8-yard TD catch in the third quarter.

“That’s the fastest we’ve started this year,” said St. Vincent coach Gary Galloway, who added that he and his staff challenged the defense to step it up against the Cardinals. “Our first half was flawless. The defense shut out a good football team.”

Farinha tacked on a 2-yard TD run late in the second quarter, but that short burst doesn’t begin to tell the story. St. Vincent went 75 yards on eight plays in less than two minutes. Farinha had all 75 yards, including runs of 35 and 29 yards.

“We just haven’t jelled together on the offensive or defensive line,” said first-year Clear Lake coach Chad Schweitzer. “We’ve been struggling there all year. We have talent, mostly seniors, but we don’t play together yet. I don’t think they know their potential.

St. Vincent (5-2, 2-0) led 21-0 at the half, dominating play on both sides of the line. The Cardinals didn’t get a first down until 1:21 left in the first quarter, and four in the first half.

Reddick said the defense was ready for the Cardinals option-oriented offense.

“We mostly practiced against that this week,” he said. “We wanted to hold down Burt, who is a good player.”

Burt, the Cardinals (3-4, 1-1) leading rusher, was mostly held in check, but he did break a 78-yard run for their only score. He finished with 163 yards on 18 carries. Ryan Lunas added 78 hard-earned yards, running mostly between the guards and tackles.

St. Vincent began the second half much the same as the first half, with Farinha taking over the game. With the Mustangs offensive line blowing the Cardinals off the line of scrimmage, Farinha found plenty of running room. And, when Farinha needed a rest, his backup Connor Ciocci provided plenty of support. Ciocci had 90 yards rushing.

“He (Farinha) is a horse now; he’s so much bigger than last year,” Galloway said.

Farinha completed the afternoon with a 6-yard TD and Wheless tacked on a 20-yard keeper for a score. The Mustangs had 463 yards, 396 on the ground. Clear Lake had 264. Wheless had 67 yards passing and two TDs.