Fallon’s running game rolls over Lowry

Fallon may be saving the best for last after dominating their second straight opponent to secure a berth in the postseason football playoffs.
It took the first half for the Greenwave to warm up on a chilly and windy fall night, but Fallon scored five touchdowns in the second half on Friday in its homecoming game to end the regular Northern 3A-East season with a 49-14 win over Lowry at the Edward Arciniega Athletic Complex.
Fallon, 3-1 in league and 5-3 overall, will host Sparks at 6 p.m. Thursday in the first round of the Northern 3A playoffs. Only the top three teams from the West and East divisions moves on in the postseason. Elko finished as the No. 1 seed. Although Lowry had a solid overall record at 6-3, the Buckaroos finished 2-3 in league, dropping key games to the top three teams.
Fallon quarterback Keaton Williams may be peaking at the right time as the Greenwave senior ran for the game’s first touchdown and passed for two more. He also guided the Greenwave’s ground game in the second half with Fallon scoring three touchdowns, two coming in the fourth quarter.
“We started slow because we were figuring what to do with the defense,” Williams said. “We found out where their weaknesses were  and we decided to run more of the veer and option.”
Fallon outgained Lowry 389 yards to 202 in total offense with most on the ground. Lowry rushed for 155 yards compared to 304 for the Wave.
The first half of the storied rival between the Greenwave and Bucks was pure hardnose football.


After Fallon stopped Lowry’s opening drive in 12 plays, the Greenwave struck like October lightning in its first series. Starting on their own 20 after Braden Hammargren’s punt, Fallon’s Brody Jacks put together two long runs to move the ball to the Bucks’ 22-yard line. Jacks relied on his line to push open several big holes and he broke loose for a 63-yard run and then 8 yards on the next play.
Williams kept the ball on the fourth play of the drive and rushed for 14 yards to give the Wave a 7-0 lead with 7:39 left in the first quarter.
Steve Moon showed his consistency for the Wave and kicked the first of seven extra points.
Fumbles hurt both Fallon and Lowry on their initial drives in the second quarter. Jacks coughed up the ball for the Greenwave, while Fallon’s Tristan Hill recovered Jesse Jeronimo’s fumble at the Fallon 5-yard line after the Bucks marched from their 41 in eight plays.
Jeronimo, though, scored a touchdown on Lowry’s next drive to tie the score. He barreled over the goal line on a 5-yard line plunge with 5:48 left in the quarter, and Hammargren drilled the extra point.
On the ensuing kickoff, Moon almost broke open to score a touchdown. He ran the ball back 49 yards to the Lowry 40 to put the Greenwave in good position. Fallon slowly chipped way yardage against the Buckaroos’ defensive line with Williams gaining 15 yards and Jacks 13.
Victor Sepulveda moved Fallon closer to the end zone with a 9-yard line to the Lowry 3 and then took the ball in on the next play with 2:53 remaining before halftime.
Moon said after the Elko loss, the team’s playing harder as evidenced with lopsided wins over Fernley and Elko.” All of our running backs have been great,” he said.
Fallon’s quick strike to open the third quarter put Lowry behind by two touchdowns. After taking the opening kickoff at the Lowry 40, Williams rolled left and unleashed a 54-yard pass to Moon, and with the extra point, the Wave led 21-7.
“Moon said it was a hitch route.
“I caught the ball and the corner missed a tackle,” Moon said.

Williams was equally proud of the connection on the visitor’s side of the field.
“That was a rollout pass and I saw him,” the Fallon quarterback said.
Williams completed 3 of 5 passes for 85 yards. Hill said the Wave began to roll for the next two quarters.
“We came out relaxed and put that first score up,” Hill said.
Hill said the quick touchdown to Moon helped with the momentum. Solid play on both sides of the ball has been coming from Garrett Jarshcke, Alain Barrera, Jose Mercardo, Damian Nestlerode, Damian Towne, Seth Reeder, Daniel Quezada and Keith Heckathorne.
The Wave scored again at the 9:36 mark after Lowry’s five-player series fizzled. Except for a 4-yard pass from Williams to Jace Nelson, the Greenwave relied on its ground game. Roland Grondin rushed for 27 yards and Sepulveda had 19 yards before finding daylight on a first and 10 at the Lowry 12-yard line. Sepulveda found more running room and scored on the next play.
On the ensuing kickoff, Lowry’s Frank Davis returned the ball to the Bucks’ 42. Lowry’s offense was more balanced during the next 16 plays. Running back Joseph Garcia and quarterback Jordan Bills put the Greenwave defense on its heels with their ground game. Bills, though, capped the drive early in the fourth quarter when he scored on a 7-yard run. Hammargren kicked the extra point as Lowry cut Fallon’s lead in half, 28-14.
Fallon mixed up its offense more in the final quarter.
On the Greenwave’s next possession, Fallon moved quickly to Lowry’s 27 in four plays. Williams then passed to Tyler Austin with 9:14 left on the clock.
While Fallon’s defense stopped the Bucks in their next two possessions, the Greenwave was still sizzling for the homecoming crowd with the defense shutting down Lowry and the offense scoring twice more.
Grondin plowed in from the 1-yard line and Reese Kincaid intercepted a pass to put the Wave in good field position late in the game.
Evermar Garcia the Greenwave’s scoring for a 16-yard score with 3:15 remaining.
Jacks gained 136 yard on 12 carries to lead Fallon. His status, though, is doubtful for Thursday’s game because of injury. Williams rushed for 61 yards on six carries, followed by Sepuvelda with 57 and Grondin at 56.
 “We have a stable of running backs, and that’s good,” Hill said. “They are getting better. They were inexperienced, but now they’re getting the yards.”

Fallon 49, Lowry 14

                           1       2       3       4       F

 Lowry                0       7       0       7       14

Fallon                 7       7       14     21     49

1^st quarter

FAL  7:39 — Keaton Williams 14 run. Moon kick.

2nd Quarter      

LOW 5:48  — Jeronimo 5 run. Hammargren kick.

FAL  2:53   — Sepulveda 3 run. Moon kick.

3rd Quarter       

FAL  12:00 — Williams 54 pass to Moon. Moon kick.       

FAL  9:36  — Sepulveda 12 run. Moon kick.

4th Quarter       

LOW 12:00— Bills 7 run. Hammargren kick.

FAL  11:09 — Williams 27 pass complete to Austin. Moon kick.

FAL  7:22  —  Grondin 1 run. Moon kick..

FAL 3:15  —  Garcia 16 run. Moon kick.