The team huddled up prior to the start of the game for a pregame pep-talk.

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - Sometimes, it’s just not your night. 

Unfortunately for the Cordova Lady Lancers, their 44-0 loss against Sheldon in their home opener inside Lancer Stadium on Wednesday, Aug. 26 turned out to be one of those nights. 

A foreshadowing of the rough outing was apparent on just the Lady Huskies’ (3-1 overall at press time) second play from scrimmage when sophomore quarterback Saniah Wiley connected with junior wide receiver Brooklin Kimmons on a 73-yard scoring strike that saw her snag the pass at midfield, then take it the rest of the way against a Lancers’ defense that was not ready from the jump. Things snowballed from there, turning into an avalanche of positive plays from Sheldon mixed with miscues from Cordova en route to the final outcome.

The Lady Lancers receive some coaching pointers at halftime.

For the Lady Lancers (2-4 overall at press time), the loss came on the heels of winning two of their previous three games, spoiling some early season momentum for a much-improved group under second-year coach Kim Bradley. According to their coach, the lopsided defeat should serve as a reminder to her group that they need to stay focused at all times. 

“They got some humble pie,” Lady Lancers Head Coach Kim Bradley said afterward. “I think this kind of woke them up.”

The Huskies put together a barrage of deep scoring strikes led by Wiley, who finished the game going 13-of-21 passing for 279 yards, with four touchdowns and one interception. The main recipient of the productive passing attack was Kimmons, who tallied three receptions for 100 yards and two scores. On the ground, Wiley added six carries for 50 yards and a touchdown, with Sheldon totaling over 102 yards rushing on the day as well.

Senior quarterback Becca Lee gets ready to receive the snap.

For Cordova, their offense struggled throughout as senior quarterback Becca Lee completed just six passes for 35 yards with one interception. It wasn’t all on Lee’s shoulders however, as Lady Lancers’ receivers dropped multiple passes that could’ve moved the chains throughout the contest. Perhaps the biggest bright spots for the Lady Lancers on the night came defensively, as freshman Symiah Poole-Alston and sophomore Veronica Martinez each recorded interceptions. 

Not everything was negative for Cordova, however. On the sidelines during the entirety of the game, the Lady Lancers were continuously encouraging one another and maintained positive body language, which shows to the team-first environment Bradley fosters as the longtime girls varsity basketball coach at Cordova, and now as the flag football coach. 

“That’s the culture we’re building and that speaks to more than just the wins,” Bradley said. “I think we’re on the right trajectory. Every team has a game like this, and I think tonight was our game like this. Hopefully we get it turned around.”

The Lady Lancers hosted both Vanden and Pioneer this week in what served as opportunities to redeem themselves at home. Final results from those games were not available at press time.