Cardinals bounce back with big win

<p>Cardinal Newman rebounded from a shutout-loss to Montgomery last week by defeating visiting Rancho Cotate Friday night, 40-21, in a North Bay League game.</p><p>That is the straight-forward information for the record, but it hardly tells the whole story. For the Cardinals, the game was a must-win if they were to have any chance of winning or sharing their fifth consecutive league championship. And they had to accomplish the task against a tough and rugged group of Cougars bent on avenging last year's 42-7 embarrassing loss.</p><p>The Cardinals really hadn't found the offense to go along with a defense that had kept them in the hunt. That problem seems to be solved. The win keeps Newman one game behind Montgomery, an 18-7 winner against Santa Rosa.</p><p>Newman (4-4, 4-1 NBL) coach Paul Cronin put in a new offense during the week. It worked. Man did it work. The Cardinals installed a running-back by committee with Tyler Laron the newly elected chairman of the board.</p><p>Laron, along with Bryson Dumont, Matt Bowman and Jack James carved up the Cougars for 398 yards rushing. Laron had 169 yards. Dumont slashed for 103 yards, including TD runs of 40, 13 and 15 yards. Quarterback James chipped in with 41 yards, and Bowman came in with fresh legs in the fourth quarter and pounded inside for 85 yards and a 5-yard TD. </p><p>“We started the season with a spread offense, but we weren't making much headway, so we went to a Double Wing-T,” James said. “We went out and played smash-mouth football. I think this may put us over the top.” </p><p>James, Laron and Dumont all credited the interior lineman, who had to learn new blocking assignments in seven days. Eddy Rutherford, Chris Morehouse and Russell Van Anda, as well as others, played perhaps their best game of the season.</p><p>Laron, normally a linebacker, started for the first time at running back. It might be hard to get him back on the defensive side of the ball.</p><p>“I talked to the coach every day,” he said. “I kept telling him to put me in, I could do it. ‘Get me the ball, I said.' ”</p><p>Dumont, who had limited carries before the game, said he wasn't expecting much, but added: “We were having a lot's of fun.”</p><p>Newman is not used to losing football games and especially not in the NBL. However, the Cardinals, after a grueling non-league schedule that saw them drop three consecutive games to begin the year, broke through to defeat Elsie Allen (48-13), Piner (48-0), and Santa Rosa (28-14). So, all was well for the Cardinals, or so everyone thought. After all, the Cardinals have dominated the NBL the past several years. The Cardinals also have four consecutive section titles.</p><p>But, the Cardinals' offense, which was anemic in losses to Central Catholic of Modesto, San Joaquin power Del Oro and Palma (Salinas), scoring a combined 33 points, was shut out 9-0 last week by Montgomery. Rancho lost to Montgomery 9-6.</p><p>It was the first time Newman had been shutout during Cronin's tenure.</p><p>The loss to Montgomery snapped a 22-game NBL winning streak. The Cardinals, averaging 217 yards a game in its first seven contests made a few changes during the week. As a team, they averaged 3.86 yards per rush, not a figure that would scare many people. That changed against the Cougars, big time.</p><p>James threw just twice, both in the first half, and one came with 13 seconds remaining in the half after Bowman intercepted Poueu Peleti-Gore at the Cardinals 37. Newman played without its leading rusher Steven Stout, who left the team for personal reasons.</p><p>Newman led 27-14 at the half.</p><p>Both Rancho scores came courtesy of the strong right arm of Peleti-Gore, who found Sean Fish for a 61-yard strike and Dylon Rossini, who out-muscled a defender in the corner for an 8-yard score. Brian Dworkin, the Cougars' leading rusher was mostly held in check, but broke free for a 34-yard romp late in the game.</p><p>Newman got an early TD on a fumble recovery in the end zone by Lucas Bertoli on a poorly executed option pitch. Bertoli also stopped a Cougar drive late in the first quarter with another fumble recovery on the Cardinals 1. After the recovery, Newman went 91 yards on 7 plays with Dumont taking care of the final 40.</p><p>A 7:24, 15-play drive to start the third quarter, that culminated with Dumont scampering in from 15 yards, giving Newman a 33-14 lead was not only the drive of the game, but put the Cougars in a deep hole.</p>