Serving the community since 1970
Serving the community since 1970
Dylan Hatton scores to extend Shafter's lead.
Mariyon Sloan goes in for a score.
The Shafter defense stops the Horned Toads on third down.
The Generals say a prayer as the Toads' Tremelle Spain is taken from the field in an ambulance.
The Shafter Generals football season came to an end on Friday with a heartbreaking loss to the Coalinga Horned Toads in the Central Section Division IV championship game, 34-33.
The top-seeded Generals just missed winning their second title in three years, dropping the contest to the third-seeded Horned Toads after allowing Coalinga to come back from a 12-point deficit with under five minutes remaining in the game.
Coalinga got on the board first after a long drive on their first possession, using up seven minutes of the first quarter.
The Generals answered back with a long drive of their own, ending with a touchdown run by Mariyon Sloan. The teams traded touchdowns after that, making the score 14-14. Quarterback Ezekiel Osborn led the Generals to a third quarter drive that put Shafter up 21-14 when Christopher Espinoza took the ball in from seven yards out. Shafter was dealt a big blow in the quarter when Tremelle Spain went for a reception deep in Coalinga territory but went down on the play, needing to be escorted off the field in an ambulance. It was reported that Spain suffered a dislocated knee.
Coalinga tied the score with seven minutes to go in the third quarter on a short touchdown run.
With just two minutes to go in the quarter Osborn hit Adrian Garcia on an 11-yard touchdown pass, putting the Generals back on top.
After the Generals' defense stopped the Horned Toads on their next possession, Shafter had the ball deep in Coalinga territory. Osborn took advantage of the field position and connected with Dylan Hatton, threw his third touchdown of the night, making the score 33-21. Shafter missed the extra point, keeping the lead at 12 points.
In the fourth quarter, the Shafter offense couldn't mount a scoring drive, instead giving the ball to Coalinga for the comeback. At the same time, with only four and a half minutes left in the game, the Shafter defense allowed Coalinga to drive down the field to score, closing the gap at 33-28. Unable to run out the clock with a drive of its own, the Generals gave the ball back with a little over two minutes to go. Coalinga scored with a minute left, making the score 34-33. Shafter had one last chance to drive down the field, but after three first downs, Osborn was intercepted, ending the threat and the game.
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