Lobos Fall in Home Opener Against Bernstein

The Rancho Dominguez Varsity Football team started off the season with a 30-41, loss against the Legacy High School Tigers. While the Bernstein Dragons started off the season with two losses against Grant and Legacy.

This week they played their playoff archrival Bernstein High School, who knocked the Lobos out of the playoffs, in both the 2013 and 2014 season.Their last encounter was in the 2014 first-round playoff, a very tight and close game which the Lobos lead throughout but, they ended up losing to a last second touchdown, in which Bernstein won 21-20.

On Friday the Lobos faced off in their home opener against Bernstein, a game in which the Lobos were trying to avenge their playoff losses and Bernstein trying to keep their dominance over the Lobos.

In the first quarter the Lobos started out very sharp scoring two touchdowns one was a 15 yard pass from quarterback Adam Ramirez to wide receiver Alexander Washington and another on a 43 yard run by Alexander Washington.

The second quarter started with a touchdown on 4th down by the Bernstein Dragons, who executed a very fast drive wasting only about a minute and a half to score leading to the touchdown, and a score of 12-7, in favor of the Lobos then off the punt.

Bernstein then forced the Lobos to punt, leading them to yet another fast-paced run in which they scored again, obtaining the lead, 14-12.

The Lobos special teams played great. Alexander Washington, had a 70 yard punt return score for the touchdown pumping the Lobos. This time succeeding on their twopoint conversion attempt after missing the past two.

Going into halftime the Lobos were leading 20-14, and in prime position to beat the Dragons.

The third quarter started, with a 65 yard punt return by Bernstein , in which they forced a 20-20 tie.The Lobos then continued on a very hard drive, in which Quarterback Adam Ramirez, got his first rushing touchdown of the season, on a 15 yard run, making the score 26-20, in favor of the Lobos.

The fourth quarter started on another fast-paced run by Bernstein, in which they scored in less than two minutes, giving Bernstein the lead 34-26.

The quarter then became very back-and-forth in which both teams kept trading possessions, giving the Lobos, only one option to win and that was to force the game into overtime by making a touchdown, then succeeding on a two point conversion.

The Lobos went down to the wire but, the clock and Bernstein’s defense was to solid to stop any sort of comeback the Lobos could’ve had. The game ended very controversially 34-26, in favor of Bernstein.

“It was a very tough loss, they always end up beating us somehow, even though we play a very good first half… we just couldn’t finish it today, but at least we still have a lot of games to play,” said Senior Defensive Tackle Nilo Reynoso.

Leaving the Lobos still without a victory against Bernstein and a 0-2 record to start the season. The Lobos next road game is against Grant High School, next week in the valley.