Casa Grande football team excels in 26-14 win over American Canyon

Casa Grande beat both the elements and American Canyon on Friday night, forcing several turnovers in a 26-14 road win.

The Gauchos now lead the title race in the Redwood Empire Conference Valley division and could clinch the league crown outright next week.

Takeaway

With the rain pouring sideways from start to finish, it was Casa (7-2, 5-0 REC-Valley) who struck first on the second play of the game. Quarterback Danny Mercado, who injured his throwing hand against Tamalpais just over a week ago, looked fresher than ever as he took the ball himself and raced for a 44-yard score.

Casa then doubled their lead early in the second quarter when Mercado found Ronan Curley, who was playing catch as the Gauchos’ lead back, in the flat for a touchdown.

It took a while for American Canyon (8-1, 4-1) to get going on offense as the Wolves went three-and-out on their first two trips. But the rain got heavier and they finally found some sweet ground midway through the second quarter when Mason Harris found the lead for a 14-yard touchdown.

The Wolves defense held strong, but AmCan’s turnovers on offense played a decisive role in the outcome of the game.

After the Wolves left the field with a turnover on downs, it wasn’t even a minute before they punted the ball, which Casa converted into a field goal to take a 10-point lead heading into halftime.

Wolves collapsed again after the break and Casa recovered again. Once again Casa scored a field goal. AmCan then scored behind Andre Lopez to cut the lead to 6.

The AmCan defense came out strong again late in the third quarter, forcing a three-and-out, but an incredible punt by Casa’s Camden Bushey brought the Wolves to their own 1-yard line. Harris then fumbled a snap in the rain and Casa found it in the end zone. Three more AmCan losses essentially sealed the deal.

Key Points

In the rain, Casa’s defense had many of them. Bushey and Wyatt Duff each threw interceptions in the fourth quarter, while the Gaucho’s aggressive defense resulted in four fumbles. And while Casa has indeed given up the most points in the last five games, the Gauchos’ defensive unit continues to show up where it matters most.

Quotable

“Honestly, rain is the best equalizer. We thought we would be able to throw the ball if it was dry, but due to the rain, neither team was able to throw the ball. They made some shots and really put the ball in our hands. But defense has been our mainstay and that’s who we are; this is our identity. We’re good offensively, but we’ve strengthened our defense since we’ve been here.” — Casa Grande Head Coach John Antonio

“I think we’ve brought a culture to our defense that’s super physical, hard to play against, and really just a hands-on team, which I don’t think teams are ready for.” – Bushy.

“If you turn the ball over six times, you lose the football match. This is a hard lesson, no one needs this lesson, but you know what, this is football… I will say that in the second half our defense played for nothing and did not give up a single point; the only points we lost were on offense. But we have to get better.” — American Canyon Head Coach Trevor Hudson

Next

The Casa will travel to west Petaluma for the annual Egg Bowl next Saturday where they will face the Trojans (3-5, 2-2). American Canyon will stay home Friday and host Redwood (5-4, 3-2) in the league final.

You can reach staff writer Keenan O’Doherty at 415-887-8650 or [email protected]. On X (Twitter) @kodoherty22.