Pop Warner Mighty Dawgs win second game of season

Ramona Pop Warner Mighty Dawgs faced the Mighty Jaguars early Saturday morning in Valley Center, collecting their second win of the season.

The Dawgs stunned Valley Center with a successful onside kick and recovery by kicker Kaden Rogers, said Coach John Pecoraro.

Ramona’s initial drive started out promising with a series of power rushes into the heart of the Jaguars’ defense. The effort ended abruptly with a Ramona fumble deep in Valley Center territory.

Picking up where the defense left off from last week, the Dawgs, led by linebacker Jason Gill and cornerback Cameron Dingman, dispatched a Valley Center offensive attack, returning the ball to Ramona.

Gill, also a Ramona tailback, slashed his way through the Jaguars’ defensive front. Aided by fullback Benton Welch, blocking back Peyton Silva, and wingback Ali Flenoy, Gill guided the Dawgs’ offense towards the Valley Center end zone. Gill capped the drive with a 12 yard touchdown scramble. George Cohen kicked a 2-point, giving the Dawgs’ an 8 to 0 lead.

From this point, Ramona and Valley Center exchanged blows through the second and third quarters, but the score remained unchanged. The action heated up in the fourth quarter when a Jaguar’s receiver slipped beyond the Dawgs’ coverage, making a pass catching grab in Ramona’s red zone.

With minutes left on the clock and momentum swinging in the Jaguars favor, nose guards Kadyn Cole and Blake Yule checked in on defense. Cole and Yule pestered the Jaguars’ center, disrupting the snap and the flow of the plays. Tackles Blake McIntyre and Josh Johnson took advantage and applied pressure to Valley Centers’ backfield.

On successive plays, the Dawgs’ defense stopped the ball carrier and sacked the quarterback for a loss, snuffing out the Mighty Jaguars’ best drive of the game.

Ramona ran the clock out sealing the Dawgs’ second win. Despite a handful of untimely miscues, the Ramona squad stiffened when it needed to to ensure a victory against another stout opponent., said Pecoraro.