Pop Warner Guard Dawgs shut out Tigers

The Ramona Pop Warner Guard Dawgs traveled north to face the Wildomar Tigers last weekend, in their second of a three game road stretch, and shut the Tigers out with a score of 18-0.

The opening kickoff was returned by Gage Bailey past midfield. Getting in behind blocking by his offensive line, Bailey carried the football for a touchdown on the opening drive, giving the Guard Dawgs a lead of 6-0.

The offensive line consisted of Adrian Elsasser, Christopher Hallman, Gabriel Stallman, Shane Staner, Chris Espina, Andrew Martinez, and Wesley Bryant. Thirteen members of the Guard Dawgs 20-man roster carried the ball behind the O-line for positive yardage.

The Guard Dawgs defense, led by Dylan Imig and Andrew Finley, was relentless in reeking havoc in the Tiger backfield, shutting down most plays before they even had a chance to get established.

In all, the Tigers had 14 offensive plays for a loss of yardage, and were only able to muster two first downs for the entire game.

To close out the first half, the Dawgs were up 12-0. In the second half, strong runs by Andrew Garegnani, Nathan Kiddoo, Dawson Castro, and Dahmersque Lacy eroded the clock and eliminated any chances of letting Wildomar back in the game.

Near the game’s end the shutout almost slipped away when Wildomar recovered a fumble on its 15-yard line. Gabriel Stallman chased the defender who recovered the fumble, 65 yards and made a touchdown.

Although pleased with the results, Head Coach Will Hobbs said the greatest accomplishment was when a member of the Wildomar organization approached him after the game and praised the sportsmanship of the Guard Dawgs, noting they helped Wildomar players up from the ground and complimented them on their efforts.

“This was a testament of the character that exists within this team, coaching staff, and parents,” said Hobbs. “I have never been so proud of a team as I was in that moment and we owe it to everyone who is involved with and supports us.”