Published: September 06, 2008 12:27 pm            

Rio Vista defeats Millsap 20-14 in home opener

RIO VISTA — The Rio Vista Eagles exploded for two touchdowns in the opening 1:08, the second following an accidental onside kick, and took advantage of five Millsap turnovers in claiming a 20-14 win Friday night.

The Eagles improved to 2-0, while the Bulldogs lost their season opener.

Millsap quarterback Trey Matthews threw for 206 yards, 159 of it in the second half.

But the Bulldogs lost three fumbles, had a pair of interceptions and were penalized 14 times for 110 yards.

The Eagles did all their scoring in the first half.

Marshall Hicks returned the opening kickoff 78 yards for a touchdown, and Kenneth Dickerson converted the extra point.

“We had good blocks at the point of attack,” Rio Vista head coach Robert Dagley said. “When he got up in it, he made his cut to the opposite sideline and just outran them. He’s got a knack for running the field.”

On the ensuing kickoff, Dickerson booted low and short. The ball glanced off a surprised Bulldog and into the arms of Rio Vista’s Chris Hutchinson at the Millsap 49.

“It was an accident,” Dagley said. “Sometimes those things are good. We wanted to pooch it real high. We’d planned on it coming down right behind their front line.”

On the first play, quarterback Ethan Stepp and fullback Trey Buckner combined on a 25-yard pass to the 24. Jacob Spain scored from there and Dickerson’s PAT made it 14-0 with 10:52 left in the first quarter.

Following an exchange of punts, Millsap drove 99 yards in six plays for its first touchdown. Chris Hicks scored on a 60-yard run on a reverse, and Jon Franklin converted with 3:42 left in the first.

The Bulldogs got their biggest break of the night early in the second quarter, recovering a fumbled punt by Hicks at the Rio Vista 31.

But they couldn't capitalize, punted, and Rio Vista marched 91 yards to the clinching touchdown.

Spain had three runs of nine yards in the series. He scored on a 58-yard run with 3:38 left in the half.

Tyler Carper and Spain ended the Bulldogs’ last two series of the half with interceptions and Buckner recovered a fumble to end Millsap’s first series of the third quarter.

Dickerson missed a 29-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter and the Bulldogs drove as far as the Rio Vista 22, but Buckner intercepted a pass at the 15.

The Bulldogs pulled within a touchdown with 2:18 remaining on Matthews’ 44-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Young.

But Hutchinson recovered the Bulldogs’ onside kick at the Eagles’ 47.

The Eagles’ secondary strategy was to avoid being burned deep, Dagley said.

“We knew they had a good passer and some good catchers,” he said. “When you play good passers and catchers, you have to keep them in front of you. Hopefully, you can pick a few off. We were able to do that. They were able to drop a few.”

Spain had his second straight big night with 155 yards on 26 carries. He was tested far more by Millsap than by Tolar in the opener.

“It was a lot tougher, a lot harder on him,” Dagley said. “They were keyed up to stop him and Buckner. That’s what people are going to do. We have to diversify a little bit and make sure we can throw the ball down the field.”

        

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