BY DARRELL MOODY
Appeal Sports Writer
FERNLEY " Mike Kendricks enjoyed a coming-out party of sorts.
Kendricks rushed for 201 yards and four touchdowns, and returned a kickoff 90 yards for a fifth score as Fernley pounded outmanned Yerington 62-7 Friday night to cap off homecoming week.
The Vaqueros improved to 2-3 overall and 2-0 in Northern 3A, and they have built a good deal of momentum heading into next Saturday's showdown against perennial powerhouse Truckee.
Kendricks scored on first-half runs of 8, 9, 3 and 38 yards respectively, sparking Fernley to a 41-0 halftime advantage.
"He (Kendricks) has seen some very good defenses the past four weeks," Fernley coach Jeff Knutson said. "There were times where he wasn't getting to where he was supposed to be. I thought he did a good job tonight."
In fact, the entire offense did a great job, piling up 437 yards of total offense despite the fact that nearly the entire second half was played in running time because of the score differential.
"Not too much (went wrong)," Knutson said. "It was a tough situation for them and us. Our kids played hard and played well. I feel for Yerington. It was a tough situation."
Made tougher by the fact that one of the Yerington players was taken by ambulance in the latter stages of the game. The Lions also lost a couple more players to injuries. They only had a few healthy players left on the bench at the end of the game.
Fernley scored on six straight possessions in the first half. The Vaqueros failed to score on their first and last possessions of the half. Of the six scores, five of them started in Yerington territory as a result of poor punts or turnovers.
On their second possession, the Vaqueros drove 49 yards for a score, as wide receiver Tucker Taylor scored on a 14-yard sweep. Dylan Evans' PAT made it 7-0 with 4 minutes, 18 seconds left.
The key plays were a 7-yard run by Kendricks on a fourth-and-1 from the Yerington 39. Bryce Baker, who went 3-for-4 on the drive, completed a 10-yarder to Justin Brashear for a first down at the 14.
Following a punt, Fernley's next scoring drive covered 46 yards and took just three plays.
On second-and-9 from the Yerington 45, Baker tossed a 37-yard pass to Steve Abrams along the right sideline for a first down at the 8. Kendricks scored the first of four touchdowns on the next play to make it 14-0 with 2:42 left in the opening quarter.
On Yerington's next possession, two negative plays put the Lions in the shadow of their goal line at the 8. A 31-yard punt gave the Vaqueros excellent field position at the 43.
Four plays later, the Vaqueros were in the end zone again, as Baker who went 5-for-7 for 73 yards, tossed a 6-yard scoring pass to Brashear for a 20-0 lead. Kendricks keyed the drive with a 28-yard run down to he Yerington 15 on the first play.
Another three-and-out plus a 14-yard punt gave Fernley the ball at the Yerington 29.
This drive was all Kendricks. He gashed the Lions for gains of 11 and 9 before scoring on a 9-yard run to make it 27-0.
Kendricks was at it again after Sean Bothelo intercepted a Burke Bristol pass at the 34 and returned it six yards to the 40.
Kendricks went for 15 then 42 and capped the three-play drive with a 3-yard scoring run. The PAT made it 34-0.
Another turnover led to another Fernley score 1 minute, 20 seconds later. Miguel Rodriguez, who played hard on both sides of the ball for the Lions, fumbled at the Yerington 38 after a 17-yard reception.
Kendricks broke loose for his final rushing touchdown of the day on the next play to make it 41-0.
Kendricks, after taking a handoff from Josh Perry, returned the second-half kick 90 yards to make it 48-7. Kendricks played only special teams thereafter.
Fernley managed one more score, that coming when Landyn Perreira, who gained 132 yards rushing, scored on an 80-yard run.
The defense, led by Andrew Ritchson, A.J. Estrada and Ian Hain, played well throughout the contest. Yerington had five negative rushing plays and two other times were held for no gain.
Knutson admitted that he was concerned that his team might take Yerington lightly, but he said homecoming may have saved that from happening. He and his team knows what is on the horizon. The winner of next Saturday's game at Truckee will be in the driver's seat for the Northern 3A regular-season title.
"It will be the same Truckee," Knutson said. "They will be real physical. We will have to play an outstanding game to beat them two years in a row. I'm sure they will be motivated by that loss last year."
- Contact Darrell Moody at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com or (775) 881-1281