Football: Northgate Runs Over Dublin in Under the Lights Opener

Northgate 48, Dublin 7

The Star: Cameron Stover rushed for 213 on 16 carries for three touchdowns.

The Turning Point: On the first play of the second half, Stover took the ball 57 yards up the middle for the score to put the game out of reach for Northgate.

The Quote: "I think we only ran five different plays tonight," Stover said. "That's all we really needed to get it done tonight."

What's next? Northgate stays at home next week to take on Tennyson, while Dublin looks to even its record when it hosts Galt on Saturday.

Bottom Line: Northgate held the Gaels to 177 yards of total offense, while scoring touchdowns on its first four possessions of the game in the win.

————————————

As fans arrive at the Northgate High campus Friday night, there was a message on the school's marquee that had never been up before, and it was just three words: Friday Night Lights!

For the first time in school history, the Northgate was playing under the lights at home and it didn't disappoint the Bronco faithful, pummeling Dublin 48-7.

Northgate quarterback Alex Cost hit Matt Butler on a quick slant for a 39-yard touchdown on the fourth play from scrimmage for the Broncos, capping a 62-yard opening drive that took less than two minutes.

"This is a great win for our program tonight," Northgate coach Justin Lowell said. "We are starting a new tradition here at Northgate, and this community support has really been amazing."

The bright lights brought out the offense for the Broncos as they used a simple offense to rush for 393 yards.

"I think we only ran five different plays tonight," Northgate running back Cameron Stover said. "Our o-line did a great job. They opened holes all night long and we just found them."

Stover was the workhorse for the Bronco rushing attack. He carried 16 times for 213 yards and three touchdowns, none bigger than a 57-yard scamper on the first play of the second half. 

Dublin's Michael Thomas rushed for 59 yards, but the Gaels could never get a real consistent drive going against Northgate's defense.

"That was our focus all week, defense first," Lowell said. "We take so much pride in it and we want to make it the staple of our team."

Cost threw for four touchdowns, finishing the night 5-for-7 for 110 yards, and connecting with Butler on every passing play that was called.

"We've known each other since we were like five years old," Cost said. "We ran routes all offseason to get ready for this. I feel like I always know where he is going to be on the field."

The win kicked off the season in the right direction for the Broncos, who beat Dublin 56-35 last season in their opener, but this game meant more than just a W on the schedule, it was a sense of rebirth for the Northgate football community.

"For most people on this team, this game was the biggest event of our lives," Cost said of the first night game in school history. "We've been waiting for this for a long time, since we were freshman. To take that field tonight with all our fans watching, and the support from everyone, is something we will never forget."

————————————

Northgate 48, Dublin 7

Dublin   0  0  7  0 — 7
Northgate 14  14  13  7 — 48

Scoring summary
8:21, 1st:  NG- Butler 39 pass from Cost (Levy kick)

0:24, 1st: NG- Butler 1 run (Levy kick)

9:01, 2nd: NG- Butler 32 pass from Cost (Levy kick)

3:01, 2nd: NG- Stover 15 run (Levy kick)

11:10, 3rd: NG- Stover 57 run (Levy kick)

7:14, 3rd: D- Achziger 2 run (Marshall kick)

2:57, 3rd: NG- Han 21 run (kick failed)

6:51, 4th: NG- Stover 43 run (Levy kick)

Individual Statistics

Rushing (car-yards): Northgate, Stover 16-213, Butler 7-30, Schmidt 6-30, Cost 3-18, Stuart 6-39, Han 4-36, Khamosh 2-12, Carlson 3-15, Dublin, Deguzman 5-8, Rudolph 8-30, Thomas 3-59, Achziger 7-8, Owens 1-2, Leung 2-5, Stelly 1-(-7)
Passing (comp-att-yards-ints): Northgate, Cost 5-7-110-0, Dublin, Achziger 6-15-72-0, Elias 0-1-0-0
Receiving (rec-yards): Northgate, Butler 5-110, Dublin, Thomas 1-13, Wynne 4-56, Deguzman 1-3

Team offense (rush-pass-total)

Northgate— 393, 110, 503

Dublin— 105, 72, 177

Fumbles/lost: Dub — 1/1; NG — 1/0.

Records: Northgate 1-0, Dublin 0-1

———————————

Follow Patch Sports East Bay on Twitter

———————————

More Patch East Bay Football Coverage

Acalanes 9, Ygnacio Valley 0 by Jim Mannion

Campolindo 21, Albany 6 by Jordan Conn

Foothill 24, Pittsburg 7 by Kyle Bonagura

Las Lomas 42, Vintage-Napa 7 by Peter Fournier

Amador Valley 7, Freedom 0 by Bill Soliday

Miramonte 21, Analy 7 by Richard Paolinelli

Kennedy-Richmond 20, El Cerrito 15 by Patrick Creaven