Turnovers doom East Union in loss to Kimball

East Union's Johntae Maggard fumbles the ball while tackled by Kimball's Willie Clifton (13) and Osaze Osawe as Zachary Lychak (33) comes in to assist. - photo by SEAN KAHLER

Bulletin sports 2020-21 — East Union's Johntae Maggard fumbles the ball while tackled by Kimball's Willie Clifton (13) and Osaze Osawe as Zachary Lychak (33) comes in to assist. - photo by SEAN KAHLER

TRACY — East Union was its own worst enemy Friday night.

The Lancers turned the ball over six times — three in or near the red zone — and started the game behind the 8 ball when host Kimball returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown on the way to a 32-29 Valley Oak League win at Don Nicholson Stadium.

“We just gave it away,” East Union coach Willie Herrera said. “We did a pretty good job against that stud of a quarterback over there.

“We gave away a kickoff return to start the game and then we kept coughing it up. We didn’t protect the ball. They were just making solid tackles and the ball would come out.”

Alonzo Jackson was the workhorse for Kimball (1-1 VOL), grinding out 181 yards on 26 carries. He put the Jaguars ahead for good on a 13-yard touchdown run with 8 minutes remaining in the game.

The Lancers (1-1) were not finished. They moved the ball 60 yards in seven plays down to the Kimball 15-yard line when East Union fumbled the ball away for the third time in the second half.

Jackson (28 carries, 181 yards) then put the dagger right through the heart of the Lancers. On the next play he galloped 47 yards up the sideline in front of his team’s exuberant bench, putting the game out of reach.

“Alonzo Jackson is a beast,” Jaguars coach Dustin Anderson said. “He is our go-to guy and he grinds it. When we need a play he just comes through.

“He keeps going and going. He may be a smaller guy (5-foot, 8 inches, 175 pounds) but he is a horse.”

East Union had one more chance, forcing a turnover on downs with 31 seconds left and no timeouts. The Lancers then turned the ball over for the sixth and final time on a Hail Mary with 5 seconds remaining.

Johntae Maggard (20 carries, 131 yards) scored twice for East Union on 1- and 15-yard touchdown runs. Luke Weaver (6 of 12 passing, 74 yards, touchdown, two interceptions) was responsible for two first-quarter Lancers touchdowns on a 46-yard scoring throw to Zelmar Vedder and a 1-yard touchdown run.

Nicholas Coronado (14-24 passing, 228 yards) had his way with the Lancers defense at times, finding wide-open receivers most of the night. He had second-quarter touchdown passes of 13 and 30 yards to Dylan Anderson and one in the third quarter of 67 yards to Mason Rivera.

SCORING SUMMARY

East Union 14 0 7 8 — 29

Kimball 7 13 6 6 — 32

First quarter

K — Jerome Nance 87 kickoff return (Ally Thompson kick), 11:47

E — Zelmar Vedder 46 pass from Luke Weaver (Miguel Martin Garcia kick), 9:51.

E — Weaver 1 run (Martin Garcia kick), 4:12

Second quarter

K — Dylan Anderson 13 pass from Nicholas Coronado (Thompson kick), 10:15

K — Anderson 30 pass from Coronado (kick fail), 5:33

Third quarter

E — Johntae Maggard 15 run (Martin Garcia kick), 9:15