Santa Cruz High Cardinals Collapse in Second Half

After a strong showing in the first half the Cardinals fizzled in the second and it turned into another night full of growing pains as they were trampled by the visiting Irvington High Vikings 42-6. 

The Cardinals were unable to stop the rushing attack of the Vikings, giving up over 400 yards on the ground alone, with a majority of them coming in the second half. 

“There was no motivation at all for anyone out there,” said 5-foot 10-inch quarterback Alex Morris. “But I try and keep everything going, the tiredness is really getting to us, but mostly how we aren’t doing to well.” 

The game started with a risky onside kick by the Vikings, but it backfired as the Cardinals recovered and had stellar starting field position on their first drive. They powered their way down to the 20-yard line on the legs of Ashtyn Davis, Riley Cameron and Doug Leonard, but their seven minute drive stalled out and they set up for a 30 yard field goal. The hold on the kick was botched and the last second pass from the holder was intercepted by the vikings at their own 13-yard line. 

The Vikings then cruised down 87 yards, with a steady dose of run, and drew first blood they also added on a two point conversion to go up 8-0 with 9.3 seconds left in the first quarter.

The next possession for the Cardinals started promising as Morris completed a 44-yard pass to Junior receiver Brandon Laguna that brought them into enemy territory. The Cardinals drive would stall once again and Head Coach Bubba Trumbull decided to roll the dice on fourth and one but were stifled and turned the ball over; however, the vikings would go three and out and punt the ball back to the Cardinals. 

With 8:51 remaining in the first half the Cardinals set up shop at the 34-yard line. Once again Trumbull gambled during the drive, but the gamble would pay off this time as they would convert a 4th and 1 at the 45-yard line. They would go on to score on the legs of Morris on a 2 yard boot capping of a 17 play 7 minute 66 yard drive. They would attempt to tie the game with a two point conversion, but were stopped just inches short.

The Vikings decided to run the final minute of the first half out and go into halftime up by two.

The second half of the contest was anything but a contest. 

On the Cardinals first possession they coughed up the football at the 37-yard line, and the Vikings would capitalize on 4th and 16 with a 20 yard touchdown pass.

From that point on the Cardinals looked like a defeated team on both sides of the football, as the Vikings would go on to score a touchdown on four out of their next five drives and pound the Cardinals on the ground leaving them in the dust. 

After the Vikings scored their final touchdown of the game Trumbull looked over and said, “I’m going to tell you right now, no comment. We have A LOT of work to do.”