WALNUT CREEK — Northgate and Mt. Diablo each understood the stakes, that they managed their very own future. Win and lock up a spot within the playoffs. Lose, and their future was out of their arms.
With an opportunity on the dance on the road, Blayne Ballard and the Broncos dealt with enterprise swiftly but mercilessly. Behind Ballard’s three receiving touchdowns, pick-six and strip-six — 5 scores in complete — Northgate simply defeated Mt. Diablo, 63-26, to safe the Diablo Athletic League’s second automated playoff spot.
“I haven’t had a game like that ever,” stated Ballard, who additionally transformed all eight additional factors and a two-point conversion.
“Usually, he’s an offensive guy,” stated Northgate coach Ben Ballard, Blayne’s father. “But the pick-six and the strip recovery, that was just the icing on top.”
Blayne Ballard wasn’t the one Bronco who stuffed up the stat sheet. Senior quarterback Brady Willis accomplished six-of-eight passes for 4 touchdowns and 159 passing yards. Sophomore Deangelo Smith compiled 168 dashing yards on eight carries with a dashing landing. Sophomores Tristan Tolerton and Dax Gordon contributed dashing touchdowns as nicely.
So far as the Pink Devils, which had sophomore quarterback Michael Vasquez throw for 4 touchdowns, they will solely hope to safe an at-large bid into the playoffs. If not, they finish their season with a 7-3 report, profitable their first league title since 1962 within the course of.
“Hopefully, we do get a chance,” stated Mt. Diablo head coach Fetuao Mua. “The plan is always just to get a ticket to the big dance, right? Anything can happen in the playoffs. It’s a completely different season. We’re hoping for the best. The kids understand that not many people get to walk away from football a winner. Your last game, you usually don’t win.”
The Broncos established management inside the first 4 minutes of recreation time, parlaying a punt on their first defensive possession into factors on their first offensive possession. Willis discovered Ballard on a 27-yard dime ultimately zone, then Ballard hit James Mayse by means of the air for the two-point conversion, giving Northgate an 8-0 lead.
These first two drives, in impact, set the tone for the evening. Deangelo Smith reeled off a 21-yard landing run. Willis related with sophomore Dax Gordon for a nine-yard rating, one arrange by Smith’s 34-yard run. Northgate pressured a fumble, then instantly turned it into seven factors on the following play from scrimmage as Willis once more related with Ballard, this time for a 58-yard landing. Earlier than the midway mark of the second quarter, Northgate owned a commanding 29-0 lead.
Mt. Diablo, down by 4 possessions, lastly had its response as Vasquez related with sophomore Elijah Molnar on an 85-yard landing. The Pink Devils transformed the following onside kick, however that solely arrange extra factors for the Broncos as Ballard picked off a move at round midfield and returned it for six.
Mt. Diablo managed to attain earlier than the half as Vasquez hit Christian Kuuan for a 15-yard rating, however Northgate entered the half with a 35-12. Whereas the Pink Devils received their offense functioning within the remaining minutes of the second quarter, the Broncos instantly put any premonitions of a comeback to mattress popping out of the halftime break.
4 performs into the third quarter, the Broncos had a 42-12 lead after Willis, once more, hit Ballard, this time for 32 yards. 9 performs into the third quarter, their lead ballooned to 49-12; Northgate’s protection pressured a turnover on downs, then Tolerton rushed for a 13-yard rating on the very subsequent play. Roughly three minutes into the third quarter and Northgate had the dagger.
