Petaluma bests El Molino in Sonoma County League football showdown

PETALUMA - El Molino’s Jack Fricker put his foot to the ball. It ascended just past the reach of a strong rush and continued toward the southeast end zone at Petaluma High.

“I hit my guy, and I didn’t want to hit him,” Petaluma lineman Justen Santa said. “All I wanted to do was look at the ball fly. It looked like it was in slow motion.”

It rotated end over end - and plunked the top of the right upright before bouncing away. Fricker’s 25-yard field-goal attempt with about 6 minutes left was no good, and the Trojans had preserved their shutout. Again.

Petaluma blanked El Molino 35-0 on Friday night, its fourth consecutive shutout. This one, coming against a rejuvenated El Mo team that brought a 3-0 Sonoma County League record and a 4-3 overall mark into the game, was probably the most significant of the four.

“By last year to this year, they have gotten way better, and we had no idea that was gonna happen,” Santa said of the Lions. “So honestly, a lot of us were a little nervous going into the game. We knew it was very important.”

It didn’t take long for the nerves to dissipate, though. The Trojans dominated the game from the outset, building a 28-0 lead just 3½ minutes into the second quarter and then going into cruise control for much of the game. Petaluma (4-1, 5-3) didn’t throw a single pass in the second half, and the fourth quarter was played with a running clock.

The home team outgained the visitors 273 yards to 37 in the first half, sending a clear statement.

The Trojans ran for 317 yards in all, getting contributions from a number of ball carriers. Dominic Christobal led the way 136 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Erick Diaz had 73 yards on just two carries, the product of his 69-yard score on a pitch left late in the first quarter. Quarterback Justin Wolbert completed 3 of 5 passes for 55 yards in the first half, then gave his arm a rest.

El Molino picked up its defensive intensity in the second half and came up with several stops, preventing a lopsided game from getting worse.

This one belonged to the Petaluma defense, though. Coach Rick Krist credited the inside pressure his team generated, noting the strong work that defensive coordinator John Crudo and his staff have done.

“I think our defensive line is our biggest improvement,” Krist said. “Our linebackers and our defensive backs have really improved on the confidence and the understanding of what offenses are trying to do against us. And they’re reading so much better.”

The El Molino offense was under attack all game. The Lions had eight different running plays that lost yardage, including a 12-yard loss on a reverse on third down.

The El Mo passers rarely had time in the pocket. Avery Ransome started and completed 4 of 10 passes for 28 yards and an interception. He gave way in the second half to Jacob Sani, who connected on 2 of 10 for 42 yards.

Petaluma is usually built on muscle, and the Trojans have no shortage of that. But this year’s team has some pizzazz, too. A lot of it comes from Christobal, a 135-pound scatback who needs just a small crease to have a chance of breaking a big play.

Against the Lions, Christobal had touchdown runs of 65 and 22 yards, as well as a 33-yard gain on a screen pass.

“Early on in the season, if you look at our stats, we weren’t getting that,” Krist said. “And I think a lot of it had to do with our inexperience. I think over the course of time, it’s trust. I think (Christobal) trusts the line. Justin Wolbert trusts. And now they’re running freer.”

The long runs by Diaz and Christobal made the score 21-0 early in the second quarter. Getting the ball back at the El Molino 28 following a shanked punt, the Trojans went for the jugular, and they did it in a way that shows their spirit. Junior Hayden Fehler dropped a sure touchdown pass wit Tomales 66, Potter Valley 0 h no defender near him. Instead of icing him out, Wolbert went right back to him and the two connected on a beautiful fade route, Fehler just getting his feet inbounds.

If El Molino had hopes of a second-half comeback, they were dashed in 10 seconds. That’s how long it took Petaluma to recover its own kickoff, and for Christobal to charge through a gap, break left and finish his second touchdown.

The Lions made it as far as the Petaluma 4 on their last real possession, then lost 3 yards on a pitchout on third-and-goal before Fricker’s missed field-goal try.

When the kick hit the upright, the Trojans were jubilant. They made no attempt to hide how much they wanted another shutout. Krist wouldn’t normally want his players aiming for anything but wins, but he is OK with kids celebrating the zero.

“Our biggest thing is, we want to do it as a team,” Krist said. “We had subs that were in, guys that maybe weren’t getting a lot of reps during the game. So our shutout is a team effort. They were all a part of it. And that’s the most important part. You know, you can get a hollow one if you keep your starting group in there. But we had everybody involved in our shutout tonight.”