Interception TD Return Keys Hounds' win over Tigers, 47-20

In a game of momentum swings between and Analy high schools, the caught the biggest one when senior Charlie Conrad intercepted a deflected third quarter pass to the end zone and returned it 102 yards for a defensive touchdown.

The Greyhounds went on to beat the Analy Tigers 47-20, but the game was closer than that score would indicate.

Earlier in the third period, Healdsburg (5-1) had a 32-13 lead and appeared to be cruising toward their fifth straight victory when the Tigers (3-3) suddenly launched a fierce passing attack that propelled two consecutive drives down the field.

In the first drive, Tigers quarterback Jake Zanutto aired out several incomplete throws before connecting with Junior Aaron Maher at the 50-yard line over the outstretched arms of defender Max Opperman; with nobody behind him, Maher caught the ball overhead and turned downfield for a 76-yard score. That brought the score to 32-20.

After the Greyhounds were stopped on offense, Analy began a more  systematic drive from their own 32-yard line, marked by several consecutive completed passes to the sidelines. The last completion of that drive was a crossing rout to Junior Dylan Mathias that landed Analy on the Greyhound’s 4-yard line, seemingly poised to score again.

But what could have been a touchdown on the next play to make it a one score game was instead a deflected pass grabbed by Conrad and returned for a score on the other side of the field. The two-point conversion that followed made the game 40-20 and virtually out of reach.

“I definitely felt the momentum shifting and knew we had to do something,” Conrad said. “I saw the ball tipped, saw the open field and I just ran with it.”

Maher was a thorn in Healdsburg’s side most of the game. In the first half he caught several long passes and, in the first quarter, he returned a kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown.

The Greyhounds trailed most of the first half until they took the lead for good when running back Gerardo Cervantes took a handoff to the left side of the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown midway through the second period, turning a 13-10 deficit into a 17-13 lead.

Cervantes finished the day with 105 yards on 18 carries (5.8 yds /per run), and quarterback Max Opperman had another stellar day as well. Opperman started slowly but found his rhythm in the second half, beginning the third quarter with a 59 yard strike to Malcom Beltran up the middle of the field.

Later, Opperman rolled to his left and threw a perfect 30-yard pass to Beltran in the left side of the end zone. Beltran was well-covered by two defenders, but neither could get his hands up in time to block Opperman’s sizzling ball.

Opperman finished the day 10 of 16 for 171 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception, and also ran for 71 yards.

"The coaches set up a pretty good offensive scheme," Opperman said. "They didn't adjust very well, so we put up offenses where we'd have more guys on one side of the ball than they'd have.

On defense, Linebacker John Etchell led the Greyhounds with 10 tackles and two sacks.

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