Hartnell Rallies Late, Relies On Field Goal
For the second straight week, the Panthers rallied late in the 4th quarter to edge out their opponent. This time the dramatics were capped off with a 33 yard field goal by Juan Herrera (North Salinas HS) with only five seconds left in the game Saturday, lifting the Panthers to 2-0 on the season.
The win avenged last years non-conference 7-3 loss to the Owls.
The Panthers were trailing 7-0 when they moved the ball deep into Owl territory. Hartnell called upon its short yardage unit and relied upon Keishawn Robinson (Seaside HS) to punch one in, knotting the score at 7.
With the game tied into the second half, due in part to stingy defensive play by both teams throughout most of the night, the Owls picked up a loose ball that was ruled a live ball, and returned it for their second score of the game. Down 14-7, Hartnell quarterback Isaiah Ariolla -Randall hit Davon Owens with a touchdown pass to tie the game for the Panthers.
Both teams exchanged a pair of turnovers in the 4th quarter and with 2 minutes remaining in the game, the Panthers were able to piece together a drive into Foothill territory. Managing its’ timeouts, Hartnell found themselves with a 4th down on the 18 yard line, with 5 seconds on the clock. Kicker Juan Herrera nailed a 33 yard field goal to seal the victory. Hartnell 17, Foothill 14
Jeff Weimer (Salinas HS) caught nine passes for 119 yards, including a 17-yard reception to set up Herrera’s game winning field goal.
Duante Moore added five catches for 57 yards while Seaside product Keishawn Robinson rushed for 51 yards and a touchdown.
Jakari Jenkins recorded two interceptions for Hartnell while Alisal High alum Alexis Ramos had a sack.
The Panthers will travel to Redwoods on Saturday for a 1 p.m. meeting at Humboldt State.