Coast Union drops CVL opener on road
The Coast Union football team took a long, 2 ½ -hour bus ride into Santa Barbara County to take on Cuyama Valley on Friday night, Sept. 30. And following the 66-16 defeat at the hands of the Coast Valley League Bears, it was clear that Coast Union still has a long way to go to be competitive against good teams.
But there were signs of solid progress. Moreover, the team has a bye this week, giving coach Thom Holt and his assistants nine practice days before another CVL opponent, Valley Christian Academy, arrives at Coast Union on Friday night, Oct. 14. That will be the Broncos’ first home game since Aug. 26.
Against the Bears, the Broncos were led by the fleet-footed Alam Ramirez, who scored Coast’s first touchdown early in the game. For the first time this season, the Broncos held a lead — albeit a very brief one. Emany Plasencia — whose long punts and booming kickoffs are among the highlights for the team — kicked a 30-yard field goal for the first score of the game.
But the Bears ran Coast’s subsequent kickoff back for a touchdown, and after a successful two-point conversion, Cuyama Valley led 8-3. Ramirez, however, responded by running the Bears’ kickoff all the way back for a score, and Coast led 9-8. That lead didn’t last long, but it put some spring in Coast’s steps.
The Broncos’ offense showed improvement from the I-back formation. Quick handoffs to Juan Meja, Diego Leonardo and Ramirez resulted in yardage gained, although the going was tough against the Bears’ aggressive defense.
Quarterback Riley Kennedy did a sturdy job running the plays, although he had Bears’ defenders in his face throughout the night, and was tackled for losses several times. Coast’s pass blocking could not contain the fierce Bears’ rush, and several of Kennedy’s passes were errant as he tried to get the ball out of his hands before he was hammered.
At one point, after being sacked before he could deliver the ball, a frustrated Kennedy slammed the football to the ground, drawing a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
On the defensive side, Kennedy’s hard-hitting tackles showed his versatility and grit as a football player on a team that is still learning the particulars of the game.
In fact, the second Bronco touchdown came as the result of an accurate dart Kennedy threw to wide receiver Ivan Favila, who made a great catch in the end zone in the fourth quarter.
Warren Smith was the standout on defense for Coast. He blew through the Bears line and made several tackles before their running backs could gain traction. On three occasions, Smith blasted across the line and sacked the Bears’ quarterback for big losses.
Holt said the team is “improving every week” but he emphasized the need to avoid turnovers. “We have to stop fumbling the ball. It’s frustrating driving the ball down the field to score, and then we turn the ball over.”
He also noted the improved running game, which has been bolstered by Ramirez’s breakaway speed, but also because the players up front are “winning the line of scrimmage in the run game.” However, Holt said “pass blocking is still an area that needs to be addressed, in addition to staying low when we are blocking.”
This story was originally published October 5, 2016 at 8:12 AM with the headline "Coast Union drops CVL opener on road."