By Aaron Coloma

The Grant Lancers spoiled the Fulton Jaguars first 11-man league match since 2011, shutting them out for three quarters on their way to a 32-14 victory in their opening East Valley League matchup Friday evening.

“We got the win, but we’re not playing a clean football game,” said Lancers head coach Franco Stasilli. “I’m not really happy with all the mistakes, the penalties especially. We had some plays that we can build on, it’s good to just get a win under our belt, especially in league play, but we have a lot of things to correct.”

The Lancers scored on the opening drive of the game through a 1-yard rush from tight end Christian Guevara despite setting themselves back with several penalties, a trend which would continue throughout the game. Grant failed a two-point conversion, leaving the score at 6-0.

“We had way too many penalties,” said Stasilli. “I know we had six at the half. I don’t know what we had in the game, but six penalties in the first half is unacceptable. We’re gonna fix some things, but that’s priority number one.”

Fulton wasted no time on the following drive and marched down the field, assisted by a pass interference call which placed them in the red zone. Ultimately, they were not able to put themselves on the board, as a missed field goal turned the ball over on downs with 2:00 left in the first quarter.

Grant forced a three-and-out deep in Fulton’s territory midway through the second quarter, putting them in prime position to extend their lead. Grant’s Matthew Gonzalez capitalized on the favorable field position with a 31-yard rush, beating multiple Jaguars on his way to the end zone to double their advantage. Another unsuccessful two-point conversion would keep the score at 12-0.

Fulton threatened to cut the Lancers’ lead down on the following drive, but were unable to convert once again after losing a fumble inside the 15 yard line. Grant would go three-and-out on the ensuing possession, but the Jaguars had no time to respond before the end of the half.

“That was huge, really good play by our backer getting that strip and good call by the ref seeing that,” said Stasilli. “12-0 is a close game, so we needed that stop.”

The Lancers’ defense held strong in the third quarter, turning the ball over on downs twice and forcing yet another three-and-out on the first three Jaguars possessions of the second half. A touchdown from Sean Palomino and Gonzalez’s second of the night extended Grant’s lead to 25-0 in the third quarter.

“We did a good job containing them all game,” said Stasilli. “Our tackling was there and we were swarming to the ball and that’s what we wanted to see. The defense has been playing good all season and they did again today.”

Wide receiver Liam Connolly ensured the Lancers kept up the intensity going into the fourth quarter with a remarkable catch over his defensive back for a 26-yard touchdown to make the score 32-0. Connolly caught four of his targets for 49 yards in the victory.

“It means a lot to me,” said Connolly. “I’m thankful and I’m grateful to be in the position that I am to lift up my teammates, and I try to do that as best I can on and off the field.”

Fulton wouldn’t go down without a fight, however, as Kevin Najera returned the next kickoff to Grant’s 40 yard line before catching a 30-yard touchdown pass to put the Jaguars on the board. A 4-yard touchdown rush from Fredy Colin late in the fourth would add a second touchdown to Fulton’s total, but it would prove to be too little too late as the Lancers secured a 32-14 victory.

“For us it’s about learning from these mistakes and continuing to progress, move forward,” said Jaguars head coach Randy Luna. “Win or lose I know these gentlemen are gonna take it to heart and make the proper adjustments as we prepare for Verdugo [Hills] next week.”

Fulton will look for their first East Valley League win at home against Verdugo Hills Sept. 27 at 3:30 p.m. Grant will take on Chavez Sept. 27 at 7:00 p.m., looking for their first 2-0 league start since 2021.