Not much went right for the Lower Lake Trojans against St Helena on their football field on Friday, September 24, 2010. Here star running back EJ Jermany fumbles on Lower Lake's first possession. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The previously winless St. Helena Saints stormed into Lower Lake Friday night and dominated the Trojans football team by a score of 37-12, handing Lower Lake their first defeat of the season.

Lower Lake’s win/loss record now stands at 2 and 1.

After the loss, a visibly discouraged head coach Stan Weiper said he was “surprised at how bad we were” and added, “We were out of sync from the start.”

St. Helena got on the board early, needing just five plays – all runs – to score first, capped by a 30-yard sprint from Saints running back Charles Bertoli into the Trojans end zone.

The extra point by kicker David Martinez made it 7-0.

Lower Lake’s Marcus Radovan took the ensuing kickoff return back to St. Helena’s 47 yard line, but EJ Jermany fumbled the ball on the Trojans' opening possession and St. Helena recovered.

The Saints took advantage of the turnover, driving 73 yards in nine plays to score their second touchdown.

Lower Lake got on the board with their next possession – the longest of the game for the Trojans – when Devante Scott carried the ball six yards into St. Helena’s end zone and brought the score to 14-6.

“We’re capable,” Weiper said. “We just need to get back on track.”

But St. Helena answered on their next possession, taking 11 plays to march 65 yards downfield, scoring on a Richard Hoppe quarterback keep from the Trojans’ 6-yard line. The added extra point brought the first quarter to a close with Lower Lake trailing 21-6.

An interception on the Saints' 29 yard line by defensive back Peter Del Bondio led to a 37-yard field goal by David Martinez, and St. Helena broadened their lead to 24-6.

The Trojans were forced to punt on their next possession, and when the Saints scored on a 21-yard run from tight end Alex Quirici, Lower Lake ended the first half trailing 31-6.

The Saints continued to dominate in the second half, when Bertoli ended Lower Lake’s opening third quarter possession by intercepting an errant Trojan pass and returning it 64 yards for another St. Helena touchdown.

The Trojans managed to score only once more in the game, when Roy Percoats ran the ball 85 yards downfield to score Lower Lake’s second touchdown.

Joseph Taylor was one of three players to throw a pass for Lower Lake; the three combined to complete three of 12 attempts in the game with St. Helena on Friday, September 24, 2010. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

After failing to make the twp-point conversion, the Trojans trailed 37-12, the final score of the game.

“We didn’t do anything well,” Weiper said after Lower Lake’s first loss. “We thought we could play competitively, and we just didn’t.”

The Trojans went three for 12 with 48 yards passing (and two interceptions), and carried the ball 38 times for 274 yards rushing.

Defensively, Trojans linebacker Antonio Hines had an impressive nine tackles, one assist and one quarterback sack against the Saints.

In junior varsity action, Lower Lake’s Jessie Meldrum caught a Jason Mallory pass at midfield to score the game’s only touchdown, and the Trojans made the two-point conversion to beat the Saints 8-0, improving their record to 2-1 this season.

Lower Lake plays again next Friday, Oct. 1, at home against Upper Lake, which lost to Ft. Bragg 48-12 on Friday night, bringing their record to 1-2 this season. The Trojans will travel to Cloverdale to take on the Eagles Oct. 8.

For more pictures of the game visit www.sportsphoto.us/20100924/index.html.

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