Green breaks Beyer career rushing record in Patriots’ 33-13 loss to Tracy

How much did Beyer High School’s all-time rushing record mean to Jay Green?

It meant a great deal … once he was told the record belonged to him.

Green – a quiet, unassuming senior – didn’t know that he broke the old standard of 3,104 yards (held by 2002 graduate Brandon Boots) on the first play of the fourth quarter of Thursday’s 33-13 loss to Tracy.

When he was informed of his feat after the game, he replied in his typical understated fashion.

“I did?” he asked softly.

With a 12-yard gainer on his 15th carry of the night, Green knocked Boots into second place on the all-time list. He finished with 142 yards on 20 carries, pushing his career total to 3,144.

“Overall, I’m proud of Jay and happy for him,” said Beyer coach Doug Severe, whose team fell to 1-2 on the season. “But I think Jay understands that this game isn’t about individual accomplishments, it’s about the team.”

The team is in the midst of a four-game gantlet that could make or break its season.

Beyer will next get a visit from Central Catholic (at Johansen’s Dan Gonsalves Stadium), then opens Modesto Metro Conference play on Sept. 18 at Downey, followed by another trip, to Gregori, on Oct. 2.

In the span of a month, Beyer will have played games against a 2014 Sac-Joaquin Section Division I finalist (Tracy), the reigning three-time CIF Division IV state champ (Central), the three-time defending MMC champ (Downey) and the team favored by coaches to win the 2015 MMC title (Gregori).

Despite the blowout Thursday, Green believes he and his teammates will be able to sweep the loss aside and get ready for the Raiders.

“We have a lot of veterans on this team,” said Green, who rushed for a career-high 237 yards in a 41-13 loss to Central Catholic last year. “And the newbies really soak up the leadership that the others provide.”

Against the Bulldogs (1-2), who lost last week to Clayton Valley, the defending Division II NorCal champ and Cal-Hi Sports’ second-ranked D-II team in the state this year, the Patriots didn’t manage a first down until they were behind by three touchdowns.

Tracy took the opening kickoff and marched 57 yards on 10 plays, taking 4 minutes, 36 seconds, off the clock. Courtney Hawkins (23 carries, 100 yards) scored the first of his two TDs to cap the drive.

After Beyer went three-and-out, the Bulldogs embarked on a nearly identical march – nine plays, 65 yards, 4:06 elapsed – that was again capped by Hawkins.

Beyer again went three-and-out and Tracy once more drove methodically down the field, capping a seven-play, 54-yard drive with a short run by Gabriel McCreary. After missing the PAT, the ’Dogs led 20-0.

“I’ll say this,” said Severe, “I didn’t coach my players very well. Tracy’s a good team and we couldn’t stop their dive the whole game, but I should’ve done a better job getting them prepared.”

Beyer finally picked up a first down on its next possession, but a sack and a delay-of-game penalty forced a punt on the next set of downs.

Still, the Pats caught a break when cornerback Michael Qarqat recovered a Jordan Baker fumble on Tracy’s 41 on the Bulldogs’ first play of the drive.

Eight plays later, Qarqat hauled in a 9-yard TD pass from Nick Trujillo to make it 20-7 with 2:52 to play in the first half.

But Tracy deftly executed its two-minute drill and quarterback Ethan Bejines hit Baker for a 27-yard TD pass that made it 26-7 with just 18 ticks left in the half.

Bejines connected with Brewer Lee on a 31-yard strike in the third quarter to give the Bulldogs their biggest lead of the game, 33-7.

The sophomore Bejines, who was 7 of 10 for 174 yards, was pulled up from the JV squad to replace sophomore starter Josh Alvarado, who can’t play with the varsity until he turns 15 on Sept. 24 – the day before Tracy hosts Turlock High.

Green closed out the scoring with a 6-yard TD run late in the fourth quarter.

“I think I can still enjoy the record even though we lost,” said Green. “Breaking the record is a big thing. … I feel good inside.”

This story was originally published September 11, 2015 at 1:03 AM with the headline "Green breaks Beyer career rushing record in Patriots’ 33-13 loss to Tracy."