Submitted by Denair Unified School District

It was a tale of two halves Friday night for the Denair High football team against Gustine.

The Coyotes emerged from a back-and-forth first half with a one-point lead, only to have a number of crucial penalty calls go against them in the final two quarters in an entertaining but ultimately disappointing 35-22 Southern League loss.

Denair (2-4, 0-3) led 22-21 at halftime and was poised to record its first league victory, but couldn’t sustain any offensive rhythm in the final two quarters.

“We were still running the same game plan, but every time we moved the ball, we got a penalty flag,” said head coach Ted Howze. “The officials took our kids out of the game.”

Gustine (5-1, 2-1) scored first in the opening quarter, but Denair quickly responded. On the first play after the kickoff, senior running back Austin Hughes broke loose up the middle and sprinted 70 yards for a touchdown to tie the score 7-7.

Gustine marched down the field again to score another touchdown early in the second quarter. Again, the Coyotes answered, this time on a 37-yard TD pass from Dominyc Silva to tight end Brandon Steeley.

Sensing Gustine was aggressively trying to block the point-after kick, Denair ran a perfect fake. Silva again found Steeley on a pass for the two-point conversion to give Denair a 15-14 lead.

The teams exchanged punts before Gustine scored once more to move ahead 21-15. The Coyotes got the ball back with about two minutes left in the half and efficiently marched down the field. They capped the drive on Alex Valle’s 3-yard TD run with 6 seconds to play to take a 22-21 lead into halftime. Continue reading “Coyotes Drop Southern League Game to Gustine” »

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Turnovers and injuries were too much for Denair High’s football team to overcome in a 47-13 loss to Mariposa on Friday night.

Mariposa returned two of the Coyotes’ five fumbles for touchdowns to help build a commanding early lead. Denair’s lack of depth also was exposed when a number of key two-way players were banged up and missed all or parts of the game. The Coyotes only have 22 players on their roster.

“The bottom line is you can’t win a football game when you turn the ball over four times,” said Denair coach Ted Howze.

The Coyotes (2-3) fell to 0-2 in the Southern League after winning two of their three non-league games.

“I felt like we moved the ball early, after they scored their first touchdown,” Howze said. “But then we fumbled on the 20 and they returned it 80 yards for a touchdown. The harder our kids pressed, the more mistakes they made.

“Injuries limited us and turnovers killed us.”

Running back Alex Valle lasted just four plays before reinjuring his ankle. Quarterbacks Dominyc Silva and Trenton Howze also missed time during the game after hard hits.

The Coyotes scored both their touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Silva found Brandon Steeley on a pass across the middle and Steeley outran the Mariposa defense to the end zone. A few minutes later, Silva intercepted a pass and returned it 13 yards for another score.

This week, Denair plays at Gustine (4-1 overall, 1-1 Southern League), which is coming off a 21-10 victory over Waterford. Continue reading “Turnovers Hurt Coyotes in Southern League Loss to Mariposa” »

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

In trying to change the culture of the Denair High football program, Ted Howze knows that winning is important … but that learning how to win is a close second.

Friday night’s 15-8 overtime loss to Delhi is a prime example.

The Coyotes twice were within a few yards of the tying or go-ahead scores, but came away empty both times. In a physical game where defenses dominated, that made all the difference.

“Part of the situation with our team is we’re still trying to figure out how to win close games,” said Howze, a first-year coach who took over a team coming off a winless season.

Building a belief among his players that they can compete – and win – has been a priority for Howze and his staff. What the Coyotes lack in size or numbers (just 22 varsity players), they make up for in determination and hustle.

Two victories in their three preseason games were a solid start in preparation for the Southern League schedule, which began Friday against Delhi.

Denair capitalized on a turnover to score its only touchdown late in the first quarter. The Coyotes recovered a fumble on the Hawks’ 34 yard line. From there, they used their multiple-option run offense to move inside the Delhi 10. On the ninth play of the drive, quarterback Dominyc Silva reached the end zone on an 8-yard run.

A successful two-point conversion gave Denair an 8-0 lead, which it maintained at halftime.

Delhi tied the score on the first play of the second half when quarterback Garret Thomas completed a short pass to Sergio Hernandez, who broke two tackles on his way to a 49-yard touchdown. The Hawks ran for a two-point conversion to make the score 8-8. Continue reading “Coyotes Drop Southern League Opener In Overtime” »

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Austin Hughes ran for two touchdowns, including the winning score with a minute and a half left in the game, and Denair’s defense came up strong in the second half as the gritty Coyotes rallied for an 18-14 non-league victory over Argonaut on Friday night at Jack Lytton Stadium.

Denair (2-1) dominated in many phases of the game. The Coyotes’ power running attack generated 68 plays on offense to Argonaut’s 30 and helped Denair hold the ball for more than 34 of the 48 minutes. Still, a few ill-timed mistakes and two touchdowns by Argonaut (0-4) in the second quarter left Denair trailing 14-12 at the end of three periods

The winning 78-yard drive began after the Coyotes’ defense stopped Argonaut on downs late in the third quarter. Denair methodically marched down the field behind Hughes (15 carries, 116 yards) and Alex Valle (18 carries, 87 yards).

A key play came when Valle connected on a pass to sophomore tight end Justin Steeley, who shook off a big hit by Argonaut to hold on inside the 10-yard line. Hughes scored the winning touchdown on the next play, capping a drive that saw Denair run almost 9½ minutes off the clock.

After the Coyotes missed on a two-point conversion attempt, their defense held Argonaut to a short run and three incomplete passes to end the hard-fought game.

“We moved the ball really well all night long. They did, too, but both teams couldn’t capitalize,” said Denair Coach Ted Howze.

The game started well for Denair. Argonaut fumbled on its very first play, Denair recovered and Hughes scored his first touchdown on the following play. After an Argonaut punt, the Coyotes were poised to score again, but a fumble stopped that drive.

Argonaut then put together its two best drives of the night, scoring back-to-back touchdowns to take a 14-6 lead midway through the second quarter. Continue reading “Coyotes Earn Second Victory” »