The St. Francis High football team was hoping to have a bounce-back performance after coming up short in last week’s season-opener at Mission College Prep in San Luis Obispo.
Instead, they were shut out for the first time in three years following a 20-0 defeat to Greenfield High in nonleague play Saturday afternoon.
“We tried our best but the other team just wanted it more than us,” St. Francis senior offensive lineman Rodrigo Abundes said.
The last time the Sharks were held scoreless was a 28-0 loss against Scotts Valley in 2023.
The loss also marks the first time St. Francis begins the season with an 0-2 overall record since 2021, which is the same season they went 4-0 in league play and were Central Coast Section Division V finalist.
As one can see, it’s still early in the season to turn things around.
In order to do so, St. Francis head coach John Ausman said they have to endure Saturday’s loss as a group because it wasn’t just one individual or one play that resulted in the outcome.
“Losses are never fun, but losses can be really good teaching moments for us,” he said. “We just have to continue to improve and continue to look inside, and not outside, and get better.”
The mistakes came early for St. Francis, beginning with a high snap on a field goal attempt in the first quarter.
Then just before halftime, junior quarterback Jacob Fonseca riffled a pass that was tipped in the air and intercepted by Greenfield senior Aaden Rojas.
It didn’t stop there. The Sharks special teams unit allowed a pair of blocked punts in the second half, one of them leading to a 1-yard touchdown by senior Damian Martinez.
“We kept blaming each other,” Abundes said. “We should have just focused on ourselves and the small details. That’s what we need.”
The Bruins conducted a great-looking drive late in the fourth quarter that was capped off with Martinez’s second score of the afternoon.
The Pajaronian requested a postgame interview with Martinez but they were denied by Greenfield athletic director John Radcliff.
“Coach Adam [Barsenas Jr.] does a great job with them, they’re a well-coached team,” Ausman said. “They’re a physical team at the point of contact, and he always has them prepared. We’ve had some awesome battles the last four or five years, which have been awesome.”
Prior to Saturday’s game, St. Francis had been dealing with an early injury bug that forced players to sit out. Ausman said it’s just been that type of season for them and they’ve had to adjust on a weekly basis.
But it also creates opportunities for others to step up in the roles they weren’t accustomed to, or didn’t think they were going to have this season.
“That’s the beautiful thing about football, when you’re on the field there’s no hiding now,” Ausman said.
Abundes said he knows they can’t use injuries as an excuse for how the first two weeks of the regular season have gone, which is why something needs to change quickly.
“We gotta have way more energy,” he said. “We started very low, ended very low. We had no energy. We’re just doubting ourselves.”
Next up, St. Francis (0-2) plays at Alvarez (1-1) in nonleague play on Sept. 10 at 7:30pm.
At Soquel 35, Aptos 13: Anthony Najera and River Cook each had one touchdown in the Mariners’ loss to the Knights in nonleague play Friday night.
Najera finished with a team-best 50 yards rushing on 13 carries, while Cook had 26 yards rushing on four carries.
Preston Carvalho and Devon Arroyo-Fagin each had one sack for Aptos (0-2), which hosts Soledad in nonleague play Sept. 11 at 7:30pm.
At Monte Vista Christian 37, Modesto Christian 0: Junior running back Reece Walker recorded three touchdowns in the Mustangs’ crushing win over the Crusaders in nonleague play Friday evening.
Walker finished with 109 yards rushing on eight carries, while teammate junior Brandon Hagen had 47 yards rushing and one touchdown on seven carries.
Senior quarterback Evan Vessey tossed for 108 yards and one touchdown to wide receiver Johnny Finney, who had a pair of receptions for 18 yards. Senior wide receiver Jordan Ramirez finished with a team-best 66 yards receiving on five receptions.
Walker led the defense with nine tackles, including two for a loss of yards and one sack, along with one interception. Finney also recorded one interception for MVC, which improved to a 2-0 overall record this season.
Next up, MVC (2-0) plays at Pacific Grove (1-1) in nonleague play Sept. 10 at 7:30pm.
