- Linden scored 14 points off of Golden Valley turnovers.
- Golden Valley dealt with several miscues including a fumble, an interception and a blocked field goal.
- Linden running back Isaac Ruvalcaba now has 315 rushing yards through three games.
Golden Valley High School faced off against Linden High on Friday night in a non-league matchup at Veterans stadium. After falling to Tokay High last week, the Cougars entered the game 1-1 while Linden High also entered 1-1 after defeating Bear Creek High last week.
The game started with both teams trading punts. Midway through the quarter, Linden appeared to be moving the ball deep into Golden Valley territory, but the Cougars were able to record a sack on fourth down that allowed them to take over possession. The Cougars appeared to score on a long, swift run by Isaiah Welch, but it was called back due to holding. Further miscues by the Cougars, including a fumble by the quarterback in the backfield, allowed Linden to retake possession deep inside Cougar territory where they finally broke the 0-0 tie and scored the first points of the night on a quarterback sneak just as the first quarter ended.
The Linden defense continued applying pressure to the Golden Valley quarterback, who struggled to maneuver a consistent passing attack in the first half. After the Cougars’ drive stalled again, they punted to Linden, but it was returned to the original line of scrimmage, setting the Lions up in Cougars territory. The Lions were able to take advantage of the field position with a 22 yard touchdown run by Isaac Ruvalcaba.
Shortly after another Golden Valley drive stalled, Linden took possession near midfield. However, the Cougars’ Jaren Bell woke up the team with an interception taken deep into enemy territory. The Cougars were able to rally the offense with 38 seconds left and the ball near the 10 yard line. However, the Linden defense held true and with no time outs, the half expired with the Cougars still down 14-0.
After the half, Golden Valley took possession and was able to advance the ball beyond midfield into Linden territory. In the second half, the Cougars’ offense looked much more crisp in the pass and run. Isaiah Welch was able to break off a pair of tough runs that set Golden Valley up in the red zone. Golden Valley’s quarterback, Gabe Richards, then rolled out of the pocket and tossed a touchdown pass to Jaren Bell cutting the lead in half at 14-7.
The defense for the Cougars stepped up after the touchdown as Linden was forced to punt the ball back to the Cougars. Welch continued moving the Cougars towards the endzone once Golden Valley got the ball back. An 18 yard run by Welch at the end of the third quarter helped set Golden Valley up in the red zone. Two plays later Gabe Richards found his tight end Camden Patterson who bursted into the endzone to tie the game at 14-14 to start the 4th quarter.
As the fourth quarter continued, Linden answered back on their next possession by tossing the ball to junior Gage Wicke who found open space on the perimeter and raced down the field for a 68-yard touchdown. The score gave the Lions a 7 point lead with less than seven minutes left in the game.
Golden Valley was able to put together another strong drive, led by Isaiah Welch, but when a touchdown run by Welch was called back due to a hold by Golden Valley, the Cougars settled for a field goal attempt, but it was blocked by Linden and recovered by the Lions at midfield. The Cougars got the ball back inside of two minutes with one more shot at tying the game, but a deflected pass by the Linden defense led to an interception by Amiel Moore who returned the ball back for a Linden touchdown, ultimately sealing the game at 28-14.
After the game, senior running back, Isaac Ruvalcaba, who rushed for 121 yards on 20 carries talked about wanting to “keep (the success) going” into next week, and he reflected on how far the team had come since week one. He talked about fixing the team’s early struggles as the game went on, which allowed the players to “ball out” in this game. He also shared that contributing to this team “feels like home.” After the 28-14 win, Ruvalcaba believes that Linden is capable of making a deep run, even winning a state title.
Linden High will take their road win back home where they will prepare to host 2-1 Hughson High next week in what should be a thrilling matchup. The Cougars, meanwhile, will look to bounce back on the road next week against Pitman High, who is 2-1 after falling to Ripon High.
- Photos by Yoanna Morales. ↩︎
