When Matilda Torres Toros flag football head coach Brian Mitchell was making the schedule for this season, he didn’t do his team any favors.
His first four regular season games came against four of the top teams in the Sac-Joaquin Section in preparation for the first year of playoffs in the Central Section.
Working to get better against these teams was the goal, and hopefully, picking up some wins in the process.
The Toros pulled ahead late in its game Monday against the Atwater Falcons, who were semifinalists in Div. II last year in the Sac-Joaquin Section. However, a long touchdown pass and a pick-six closed the door in Toros Stadium in a 31-22 final.
There were some positives to come out of the game. Freshman quarterback Adalynn Chavez is settling in as QB1. In previous games, Amerie Lujan was the main target. She was held to just one catch for 22 yards.
Karina Contreras caught six passes for 50 yards. Isabella Perez caught two passes for 41 yards. Freshman center Victoria Macugay showed off excellent hands with catches of 33 and 24 yards and a conversion reception.
The Falcons gained 293 yards of total offense. However, they were limited to 78 yards rushing. The defense allowed big plays of 49 and 51 yards that led to scores.
The Toros, with a 22-yard reception by Lujan, moved the ball inside the Falcons’ 10-yard line after an 11-yard pass to Alexa Rocha-Cervantes. However, the Toros turned the ball over on downs.
Atwater marched 69 yards down the field on 12 plays. They converted two fourth downs on the drive, including a 16-yard run on fourth-and-11. The Falcons scored on a one-yard run for a 7-0 lead with 32 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Toros put together a sustained drive of their own. They drove 66-yards on 11 plays to tie the score. Chavez found Contreras for 11 yards on third-and-eight. Then, Chavez found Perez for 21 yards on fourth-and-12 to get the ball to the 11.
Three plays later, Chavez scrambled, and ran to the corner of the end zone for the touchdown. Chavez found Lujan in the end zone for the conversion to tie the score.
Atwater used a 49-yard gain on fourth-and-five to get inside the Torres five-yard line. The Falcons scored on the next play for a 13-7 lead.
After the Toros went three-and-out, the Falcons used three pass plays for 45 yards to get inside the Torres five. Three plays later, a quick pass into the end zone gave the Falcons a 19-7 lead with 31 seconds left in the half.
The Torres defense, after allowing scores on all three first half possessions, forced a three-and-out from Atwater on the first drive of the second half.
The Falcons’ punt only traveled 10 yards, and the Toros had the ball on the Falcon 20. However, Chavez threw three incomplete passes to bring up fourth down. Chavez, rolled to her left and found Perez in the back corner of the end zone for the touchdown to cut the lead to 19-15 with 7:23 left in the third.
Despite allowing an initial first down, a sack by Jazmin Garcia forced a punt. Atwater got the ball back with an interception to halt the Torres momentum.
On fourth-and-three from the Torres 22, Rocha-Cervantes picked up a sack to turn the ball over on downs.
Chavez connected with Macugay down the field to put the ball at the three. On fourth-and-goal, Chavez scrambled to her right and found the end zone for the touchdown. Chavez hit Macugay for the conversion, and a 22-19 lead with 4:22 left in the fourth.
Atwater converted on a fourth-and-two, and then found a receiver behind the Torres defense for a 51-yard touchdown catch-and-run to take a 25-22 lead with 1:39 left in the game.
Torres tried to drive back into the game. However, a pass to the wrong-side shoulder resulted in an interception, and Atwater returned it for a touchdown with 43 seconds left for the 31-22 final score.