by Kyle Englehart at 619Sports.net
There was an offensive explosion Friday night at Scripps Ranch High School. The scoring frenzy left one casualty: the Orange Glen defense. Scripps Ranch lit up the scoreboard all night long scoring a season high 63 points.
Orange Glen fought hard, but Brennan Clay and the Scripps Ranch offense were too much to handle. Routing the Patriots 63-34, the Falcons (6-5) soared their way into the quarterfinals of the Division II CIF Playoffs, where they will face Lincoln. Clay, a University of Oklahoma commit, looked spectacular rushing for over 150 yards with two touchdowns; all in less than two quarters of play.
The Falcon offense was firing on all cylinders throughout the game. In the first half, Scripps Ranch got into the end zone on all but one drive. After trailing early 14-7, the Falcons quickly rallied and entered the half with a 42-14 lead. Déjà vu struck in the last 42 seconds of the half when QB Jake Fish found WR Jeff Brown for two 10-yard TD strikes.
“Tonight we came together and played well, these past few weeks this offense has been out of sync,” said Clay post-game. “We finally got this offense clicking. With the offense clicking it brings the defense together and makes them play harder.”
The Falcons defense certainly played hard, but they could have taken the night off.
Scripps Ranch punted the ball only once in the game (3:06 4th Quarter) and scored touchdowns on all but three drives. Halfway through the second quarter, Clay broke off a stunning 65 yard TD run that gave Scripps a 28-14 lead, the closest Orange Glen would be the rest of the game.
The victory sends the Falcons to Lincoln next week to face off against their Valley League counterparts. Three weeks ago, Scripps Ranch was pummeled 41-7 by the Hornets. Clay is expecting a different outcome this time around.
“That’s going to be a hard fought game, a shootout. There’s probably going to be a lot of points scored,” said an anxious Clay. “The defense just has to hold tight, they’re a speed team, and speed kills.”
Clay and the Falcons played what is likely their last home game of the season, and for seniors like Clay, the last home game of their high school career.
“It felt great; we had a good crowd, a lot of supporters, a lot of family and friends, and alumni.”
Next week, the Scripps Ranch Falcons travel to Lincoln in hopes of earning a spot in the semifinals. Clay will be looking to punish the Hornets defense which allowed 306 rushing yards in their final regular season game against Mira Mesa.
—Courtesy 619Sports.net
