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Saturday, Sep. 05, 2009

Pitman stumbles in second half, falls in opener

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PARADISE -- This wasn't the way Pitman High coach Brandon Harris expected to open the season, not with a team expected to challenge for the Central California Conference crown.

The Pride played a solid first half, but the second half was a rout as Paradise pulled away for a 48-15 victory Friday night.

Of course, Paradise had plenty of motivation to beat Pitman.

A year ago, the Pride rallied from a 14-0 deficit on their way to a 21-20 overtime upset of Paradise. That was Paradise's only loss, as it won the next 11 games and the Northern Section title.

The Bobcats returned nearly their entire defense, so Pitman knew it would be challenged.

The night started well for Pitman, which drove downfield and went ahead 3-0 on Quinton Breshears' 25-yard field goal.

That didn't hold up long, however, as Paradise went over the top of the defense for a 26-yard TD pass. The PAT made it 7-3.

Pitman's defense wasn't hurt much by the pass the rest of the game, but part of the reason for that is that Paradise didn't have to resort to throwing the ball.

Not with Jordan Dobrich in the backfield. The junior tailback scored three second-quarter touchdowns -- on runs of 1, 8 and 6 yards -- to help the Bobcats to a 27-9 halftime lead.

Markus Sanders had kept the Pride close early in the second quarter, going into the end zone from 2 yards. That followed a long pass from Hayden Baldwin put Pitman in scoring position.

The reserves flooded the field in the fourth quarter, after another Dobrich TD runs had put Paradise up 34-9 in the third.

Pitman backup Shea Patterson hit Colton Risely with a 66-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter to close out the scoring.