Baker spoils Mariner bid
The Ida Baker Bulldogs lacked intensity for much of the first half in Friday’s high school football game against city rival Mariner. By the time they began to make some noise along their sidelines, the visiting Tritons already had grabbed a 14-0 lead.
“They were really flat,” Baker coach Brian Conn said. “It’s basically how we were this week (in practice).”
The Bulldogs fought back, though, capitalizing on a critical botched punt by Mariner, and turned the 14-point deficit into a 28-21 victory.
Senior Jacob York rushed for 123 yards on 17 carries, scoring two touchdowns. He provided a huge lift with two of the Bulldogs top running backs, Joseph Byrd and Brandon Cruz, out with injuries.
Senior David Ramos led a spirited defensive effort in the second half with four sacks and a forced fumble.
“We knew we had to come through because it was a big rivalry game,” Ramos said.
The Bulldogs had a difficult week as they tried to rebound from last Friday’s 25-0 loss to Cape Coral in a game that decided the District 4A-12 title. Along with injuries, the Bulldogs had some players miss practice Wednesday and didn’t participate in the game.
The Bulldogs (8-2) face Charlotte, the No. 4-ranked team in 4A, next Friday in the regional quarterfinals.
The Tritons (1-9) hoped to end their season on a positive note, but the costly mistakes and bad breaks that plagued them for most of the season, contributed to Friday’s loss.
The Tritons lost senior punter David Tyrrell to an injury early in the first half when Baker roughed the punter. With Tyrrell out, the Tritons struggled punting the remainder of the game, including with 4:22 left in the half when a short punt gave the Bulldogs the ball at the Mariner 15. They cashed in on a six-yard TD run by quarterback Sean Francis to make it 14-7.
The Tritons had other miscues. They used three timeouts early in the second half in situations where players were confused as they were getting lined up.
“The kids played hard,” Mariner coach Chad O’Brien said, “but it was just the little mental stuff. In a 28-21 game, if you eliminate those mistakes it’s a different ballgame.”
Early in the first half, the Bulldogs struggled with penalties. The Tritons drove 90 yards and took a 7-0 lead on a nine-yard run by sophomore quarterback J.T. Etnoyer.
The Bulldogs roughed the punter to give the Tritons life and then committed a 15-yard pass interference and a roughing the passer penalty.
The Tritons took a 14-0 lead near the seven-minute mark of the second quarter when Etnoyer fired a 37-yard pass to Gabby Rojas.
Mariner’s botched punt led to the first Baker score, and the Bulldogs added a second right before halftime, on another run by Francis, tying it 14-14.
In the second half, the Bulldogs controlled the game on the ground and with their defense. They held the Tritons to only five yards in the third quarter. York scored twice on the ground to make it 28-14.
Despite limited offense the Tritons stayed in the game when senior J.J. Mendoza intercepted a pass and returned it 15 yards to cut it to seven with eight minutes left.
The Tritons got the ball back on an interception by George Ruesca at the goal line. They marched toward midfield, but Ramos came up with a sack that halted the Tritons’ last serious threat.
Mariner 0 14 0 7 – 21
Ida Baker 0 14 7 7 – 28
Second Quarter
M – J.T. Etnoyer 9 run (Matt Isherwood kick)
M – Gabby Rojas 37 pass from Etnoyer (Isherwood kick)
B – Sean Francis 6 run (Cody Kluesner kick)
B – Francis 20 run (Kluesner kick)
Third Quarter
B – Jacob York 18 run (Kluesner kick)
Fourth Quarter
B – York 1 run (Kluesner kick)
M – J.J. Mendoza 15 interception return (Isherwood kick)