SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - The Cordova Lancers came away with a much-needed 19-6 victory in a non-league football contest at John F. Kennedy High School on Sept. 28. 

The first half wasn't pretty, as the first points of the contest came with just under one minute remaining in the second quarter following a two-yard scoring plunge from Lancers' do-it-all athlete Trey Wallace, who split time between quarterback and running back early in the contest for the first time this season. Luckily for the Lancers, a gritty, grind-it-out game is exactly how they want it. 

Wallace would return to quarterback for the entirety of the second half and take the ball himself from one yard out midway through the third quarter to give Cordova a double-digit lead. He would end the quarter with his third total touchdown on the night as he tossed an 11-yard touchdown pass to junior Terryn "TK" King as the clock expired.

Wallace finished the night going 4-of-6 passing for 103 yards and the touchdown. Just as impressively, Wallace recorded 14 carries for 121 yards and his two scoring runs.

Additionally, senior wide receiver Damajae Moses continued to flash, snatching three receptions for 87 yards. 

Junior quarterback Trey Wallace sights his receiver downfield against Kennedy. Photo by Rick Sloan

The story of the night might very well have been the physical play of the Lancers' defense, however. Junior linebacker Masiyah Mejia led Cordova in total tackles with 10, including one tackle for loss. Senior defensive lineman and team leader Julian Drahn was dominant up front, registering eight total tackles, including four tackles for loss, one sack and a fumble recovery. Fellow seniors Antonio West and Chicago Bush also recorded sacks. 

Following the game, Cordova head coach JP Dolliver was pleased with his team’s performance, particularly on defense.

"I like the way our defense played tonight," Dolliver said. "I like how physical our team played tonight. Guys really brought it. I thought Julian Drahn was a handful."

The win comes after the Lancers (2-3 overall, 0-1 Metro League) had dropped their previous three games and stopped the slide just in time for their next Metro League matchup against McClatchy on Oct. 3 inside Hughes Stadium at Sacramento City College. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. The Lions will enter the game 3-2 overall, including 0-1 in league play.

Dolliver knows that the Lancers will need to be prepared. 

"They (McClatchy) are going to go into that game feeling a lot better than they did last year," Dolliver said. "We've got to shut them down. The big part of that game is winning the first five minutes. Get some type of momentum to start that game and break them early."