RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) – On Friday evening Oct. 4, inside Lancer Stadium against the visiting McClatchy Lions, the Cordova Lancers showed they can be as physical as necessary. 

In a game that saw Cordova run the ball a season-high 37 times while featuring nine different ball carriers, Cordova was able to wear down McClatchy in the second half en route to a 27-7 victory. 

The Lancers (5-1 overall, 2-1 Metro League) entered halftime with a 13-0 lead thanks to a one-yard touchdown run from sophomore quarterback Trey Wallace in the first quarter, along with 19-yard touchdown pass from Wallace to senior wide receiver Douglas Reed late in the second quarter. Even so, the game felt closer than the scoreboard indicated. McClatchy (1-5 overall, 1-2 Metro League) relied heavily on senior tailback Jeremiah Giles, who proved to be difficult for the Lancers to stop throughout the game. On the Lions' first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, Giles ripped off a 41-yard touchdown run that brought McClatchy within one score.

"One of the things we told our guys coming in is we can't take them for granted," Lancers' head coach JP Dolliver said of the Lions' rushing attack. "They run hard, and if they get off tackle and we get caught in the wrong gap, that guy is going to beat you when he gets a full head of steam. He's a really good running back. Once he gets going he's really hard to take down."

That would serve as a wake-up call for Cordova, who went on to shut out McClatchy the remainder of the game, while finishing the contest scoring 14 unanswered points of their own, thanks in large part to their commitment to the ground game. Lancers' sophomore tailback Zachary Mcintire ripped off a 16-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter, and senior Tai'Marr Tholmer-Johnson added a six-yard scoring trot of his own early in the fourth quarter to put the Lions away for good. 

"I thought our guys played excellent from top to bottom," Lancers' head coach JP Dolliver said following the win. "They played really hard. I haven't been as proud of this group these past two years than I am right now. They fought a really well-coached McClatchy team that is up-and-coming. We took them extremely serious and the kids stepped up."

Tholmer-Johnson led Cordova in rushing with six carries for 70 yards and his score. Mcintire's nine carries for 47 yards, along with Wallace's 38 yards on 11 carries led Cordova to the win, their second in a row. Defensively, junior defensive tackle Julian Drahn tallied a team-high 11 tackles, including four tackles for loss. Junior Damajae Moses added eight tackles of his own, including three for loss. 

Cordova will go on the road this Friday, October 11 when they travel to Antelope with kickoff set for 7:15 p.m., after press time.