Del Oro stuns Rocklin to win Battle for the Shield

For three quarters, Del Oro's offense couldn't find its rhythm against a stout Rocklin defense. But when the lights shined brightest, the Golden Eagles delivered one of their most memorable comebacks in recent memory, scoring two touchdowns in the final nine minutes to silence the host Thunder and steal a 15-14 victory in the Battle for the Shield. As Del Oro coach Josh Parry addressed his team with his booming voice, he applauded their effort, grit and resilience to dig deep and find a way to win. "It doesn't always look pretty, but it doesn't matter what it looks like," Parry told his team. "I don't care what it looks like because good things happen when you're in it for the guy next to you. This is a testament to that. There is always still a chance. Still a play to be made. Let this catapult us into something you'll never forget." Del Oro running back Brock Sherman spearheaded the comeback effort in the second half. Sherman, who was sidelined the last two weeks due to an injury, didn't touch the ball until there was 4:55 remaining in the third quarter and the Golden Eagles were trailing 14-0. He provided the spark his team needed with touchdown runs of 52 and 34 yards to seize the momentum. "In that first half, we were stuck and we didn't really know what to do," Sherman said of Del Oro's offense, which ran just two plays in the first quarter. "We kept trusting the process and once I got in there I put my trust in my teammates and we executed. It came down to the last eight minutes and I'm just really proud of my guys. We pushed through and took the win." Sherman scurried for 103 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries, giving life to a dormant offense down the stretch. With just over two minutes to play, Sherman had a chance to put the game out of reach on fourth down around midfield, but Parry opted to punt and trust his defense. And Del Oro did as safety Ashton Greenhalgh intercepted a pass with 1:15 remaining to play. "When you have a defense, you let them go play. Defense is huge this time of the year. It's what you have to count on and I was proud of those guys for saying that they've got this and stepping up," Parry said. "I'm just so proud of them." The first person to greet Greenhalgh after the final whistle was Parry. It was a defining moment for the senior, who earlier dropped an interception and a pass before making the play that completed the comeback. "I just told him how much I am proud of him for how he kept responding," said Parry of his moment with Greenhalgh. "It's not all going to go your way, but it's how you respond. It's how you come back. There's always another play. Don't let the last one affect the next one. I am so proud of him for his response tonight." The moment was especially meaningful for Greenhalgh, who transferred to Del Oro from Rocklin. The senior credited Parry's guidance for making him the player he is and allowing him the chance to come through for his teammates. "That moment meant everything to me. Coach Parry is the best football coach I've ever had in my entire life," said Greenhalgh. "I came over from Rocklin and he took me in and showed me the way to play. I thank him so much. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be in this position." Rocklin's offense was in control for three quarters, dominating time of possession and methodically marching downfield. Quarterback Reeve Slone led the charge, making plays through the air and with his legs. The Nevada commit was 13 of 26 with 162 yards with a touchdown and an interception and was Rocklin's leading rusher with 75 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. Slone's top target was senior Grayson Smith with five catches for 92 yards. Rocklin's defensive front caused problems in Del Oro's backfield all night. Outside of Sherman's two long touchdowns and a 26-yard run by Brennan Gibbs on a fake punt, the Thunder held Del Oro to 68 yards on 22 carries. Dom Coelho and Daveion Theophilus each had sacks while Braelyn Frost had an interception. Parry said Del Oro's offensive line found another gear in the fourth quarter, which allowed the Golden Eagles to make the late push. "Rocklin made some plays and we knew that they were gonna make some plays. That's a good football team. They are well-coached, fundamentally sound, disciplined. We knew that we were gonna make plays, too," said Parry. "When those opportunities came, we took advantage of it. They trusted their training and trusted their time in the weight room." Rocklin (5-4 overall, 1-4 SFL) will look to bounce back in the season finale this week at Oak Ridge (6-3, 3-2). Del Oro (6-3, 3-3 SFL) will have a nonleague matchup with Davis (2-6), where it looks to head into the postseason with a three-game winning streak. DEL ORO 15, ROCKLIN 14 Del Oro 0 0 0 15 - 15 Rocklin 7 0 7 0 - 14 Rocklin - Connor Kostecki 4 pass from Reeve Slone (Grant McGarry kick) Rocklin - Slone 7 run (McGarry kick) DO - Brock Sherman 52 run (Luke Galer pass from Nolen Sauve) DO - Sherman 34 run (Reid Elam kick)