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Bear Creek shuts out Weston Ranch in stunning victory
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Weston Ranch running back Alex Esan follows the block of Oshari Dunn. - photo by Photo by WAYNE THALLANDER

WESTON RANCH – Throw the common opponent theory out the window.

Going into Friday’s game, Weston Ranch was supposed to walk right through visiting Bear Creek based on their shared experience with Tokay. The Cougars destroyed the Tigers the week prior, while the Bruins couldn’t keep them from finding the end zone.

None of that mattered two minutes into the second half of their showdown Friday night when Javin Lynch-Perry finally gave Bear Creek the jumpstart it needed by breaking a 51-yard touchdown run for the game’s first score. The play electrified the visitor’s sidelines and suddenly forced favorite Weston Ranch to catch-up.

The upstart Bruins used that surge to pile on and grind their way to a 24-0 upset victory over the Cougars Friday night. 

Weston Ranch was held to 106 total yards for the contest with only one coming on the ground.

“We’ve seen a lot of growth. We’re trying to change the mindset and believe in the possibilities with this program,” said new Bear Creek head coach Reggie Camp. “We’ve got a bunch of scrappers that believe in each other that come play ball. We came out and performed that tonight.”

Neither team got off to a good start Friday night, as they searched for rhythm on both sides of the ball.

Weston Ranch (1-2) picked up only a single first down in the first quarter, and the two in the second came just before time expired.

The Bruins (2-1) had opportunities to capitalize twice in the first half offensively but the turned ball over on downs when within striking distance of the end zone – once at the 5-yard line and twice within with the 30.

Seeing a team that was capable of moving the ball that with the potential to pop the big play at any moment made Weston Ranch head coach Mike Hale nervous, and in the second half what he was afraid of materialized right in front of him.

“I could tell that they were a team that had a little bit of bounce,” Hale said. “I felt like if they stuck around like they did that they could have been trouble. I knew it was going to be a battle and it was going to come down to who wanted it more at the moment, and tonight it was them.”

Lynch-Perry would end up racking up more than 100 of his 135 total yards in the second half – finding the end zone twice and rushing for five first downs in same time frame.

Seeing that sort of performance didn’t discourage Weston Ranch quarterback James Simerly – who threw his first interception of the season – or keep from seeing what Weston Ranch can strive to become this season.

“Just because we were down we didn’t change up our game plan. We needed to line up in the box and fight hard,” he said. “We needed to get out there and go make plays. We have the talent and I believe that we can be one of the best teams this school has ever seen. We just need to do what we’re supposed to do on the field.”

Weston Ranch travels to Sonora to kick off their Valley Oak League season against the Wildcats on Friday.