Sage Hill Finds Going Tough at Mojave

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Mojave High's football team won the pregame coin toss, and pretty much everything else, as the Mustangs rolled to a 36-0 victory over visiting Sage Hill in a nonleague game Friday night.

Mojave's Ricky Hill returned the opening kickoff 91 yards for a score and a quick 7-0 lead after Juan DelVillar's extra-point kick.

Sage Hill (1-2) was forced to punt deep in its own territory on its first possession, but the snap from center was off-target and punter Joe Malita was tackled by Matt Carder in the end zone for a safety.

Mojave's Kelvin Nelem returned the ensuing free kick, a punt, 61 yards for a score to give the Mustangs a 15-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Late in the second quarter, Mojave blocked a punt and recovered it at the Sage Hill two. On the next play, Nelems carried it in for a score. Eric Cheng blocked the extra-point kick, but Mojave held a 21-0 lead at halftime.

Neither team scored in the third quarter, but Mojave's Jaquinn Tatum returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Chris Mitchell's conversion run extended the Mustangs' lead to 29-0.

A 22-yard run by Tatum and DelVillar's extra-point kick provided for the game's final score. It was the Lightning's second 36-point loss in a row, having fallen 50-14 last Saturday to Tri-City Christian of Vista.

Mojave's team speed proved too much to overcome for Sage Hill, which lost the services of Taylor Petty to a hamstring injury in the first quarter, limiting the Lighting's options on offense.

Ray Harrison completed 5 of 16 passes for 50 yards with one interception, but Sage Hill finished with minus-21 yards of rushing in 28 carries. Conner Ascher had three receptions for 22 yards and Thomas Fenner caught one pass for 27 yards.

David Fenner had a team-high six tackles and Thomas Fenner five for the Lightning, which doesn't play again until Saturday, Oct. 1, when it plays host to La Jolla The Bishop's at 7 p.m.