The Kimball High football team mustered just three points in its Tri-City Athletic League (TCAL) opening 48-3 defeat to Lincoln at Don Nicholson Stadium Friday night. 

The Jaguars (3-3, 0-1 TCAL) were overmatched at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, leading to the Trojans (3-3, 1-0 TCAL) running and throwing it at will — while senior quarterback Richard Sandoval had next to no time to get his offense going. 

Lincoln’s defensive schemes and size unsettled the Jaguars, and after putting up a good fight and hanging around in the first half, Kimball had nothing left to give after the interval. The Trojans led 21-3 through 24 minutes before adding 27 unanswered points in the second half. 

“We got outcoached tonight,” Jags’ first-year head coach Nico Herron said afterwards. “(In games like this), we try to look for bright spots. But it was really cloudy tonight.” 

Sandoval completed 10 of 27 passes for 156 yards and was picked off thrice. He rushed 10 times for negative yardage due to several sacks taken. 

Senior Yuvraj Balagan paced the Jags’ receivers with 76 yards on four catches. Senior Apollo Flores racked up 45 yards on four receptions. Senior Dawson Pelech caught three passes for 22 yards. Sophomore Vastain Camero had one 13-yard catch. 

Along with Kimball being unable to establish much of a run game, the hosts were majorly wounded in all three phases by the absence of senior Josiah Wilson due to an ankle injury.

However, despite the final score being what it was, the Jaguars were very much in the fight at the break. 

The Trojans scratched on their first drive of the game as Je’Shanon Martin Jr. got loose for a 22-yard rushing touchdown a little over three minutes in. 

The Jaguars went three-and-out on their first attempt, but a timely interception from senior Ashton Mainarick on Lincoln quarterback Julian Perez gave Kimball the ball right back in great field position, on the visitors’ 21-yard line. 

The Jags were looking to go for it on 4th-and-1 moments later, but a five-yard penalty for a false start halted their progress. Senior Jordan Ortiz drilled a 35-yard field goal instead to put the hosts on the board, down 7-3. 

The Trojans responded in a flash, with Perez connecting with Jordan Watson for a 58-yard TD. Perez had four total touchdowns on the day to lead his team. Watson caught a short completion near the right sideline before breaking a tackle and getting away for six. 

Kimball marched right back downfield on its next drive, courtesy of a 71-yard run after the catch from Balagan. The Jags’ offense found some early success in the middle of the field but could not turn it into points in the red zone. 

The hosts were stalled on Lincoln’s 9 this time, and the score remained 14-3 Trojans after Ortiz saw his 27-yard field goal try stuffed. 

Lincoln extended its lead to 21-3 just 34 seconds into the second quarter after Kyle Munoz punched in a touchdown carry from the Jags’ 2. 

The Jaguars’ defense battled tooth and nail for the rest of the frame. They forced a turnover on downs on Lincoln’s 38 with 6:36 to go in the half before Pelech picked off a pass from the Trojans’ backup QB Trey Jackson with 1:08 remaining. 

And though the offense came away with nothing to show for it at the other end, the hosts were still alive going into the locker room. Pelech anchored the defensive unit with 16 tackles, including one for a loss. 

Senior Noe Rocha added nine tackles, including a sack. Balagan (5) and Mainarick (4) combined for nine tackles. Ortiz had four tackles while breaking up several Lincoln passing attempts in the secondary.

Kimball’s resistance gave way soon after the interval. The Trojans tightened the screw and poured it on the Jags with 21 points in the third quarter and seven more in the fourth to complete the rout. 

Perez found Taylor Orn for a 31-yard TD grab before scoring himself on a 49-yard scramble up the middle to all but put the Jags away — trailing 34-3 with 3:23 remaining in the third. Orn caught his second touchdown pass from Perez — a 35-yarder — to make it a 38-point game going into the final 12 minutes. 

Michael Perez II set the final score with a nine-yard touchdown rush with five minutes left on the running clock in the fourth. 

The Homecoming loss was Kimball’s second straight in all competitions as the Jags fell to .500 overall on the year. They will look to bounce back at state powerhouse St. Mary’s (4-2, 1-0 TCAL) next week. 

Already with one eye on what is sure to be another demanding battle in the trenches, Herron broke down how his team can try to overcome their size disadvantage up front. 

“We have to control the cadence, play with leverage, create angles and down blocks, and double-team when necessary,” he said.

Patterson 49, Mountain House 13 

Riverbank 36, Millennium 0