Panthers spread the wealth vs. new Lions

No superstars.

No problem.

Pioneer Valley coach Greg Dickinson's “share the wealth” philosophy is working once again.

The Panthers spread the carries, the catches and the glory Friday night in a 35-8 win over the visiting Eastside Lions from Lancaster. Pioneer Valley moved to 2-1 overall with the win, and takes a two-game win streak into the start of league play. The Panthers face the Cabrillo Conquistadores on Friday at home.

“The season is too long to rely on one guy,” Dickinson said. “It's nice to have a lot of tailbacks available. We play a lot of kids.”

When Dan Ando wasn't plowing through Lions, it was Philip Garcia. When it wasn't Garcia, it was Erik Silvas. Then there was William Bruce.

Everyone but the ballboy got a touch.

In all, Pioneer Valley rushed for 269 total yards, using 12 different backs to carry out the damage.

And through the air? Quarterback Peter Renteria did his best to prove Dickinson wrong on the “star” front.

The Panthers senior quarterback threw for two touchdowns and ran for another - continuing to prove he is an able replacement to Brian Beyers, last year's starter at QB.

“At first, we damaged them through the running game,” Renteria said. “Then at the end of the half, I started to go to Diego.”

By that time, the Panthers were well on their way. It took less than two minutes for the Panthers to strike first on Ando's 5-yard touchdown.

At the 2:43 mark, they struck again. The drive started on the Lions' 43-yard line and ended three plays later. Garcia was the bookend, starting the drive with a 12-yard burst before Silvas' 5-yard bruiser. Garcia finished things on a 25-yard jailbreak up the heart of the defense for a 14-0 Panthers' lead.

Garcia led the Panthers in individual rushing, gaining 97 yards on 10 carries. After missing his entire junior year with an ankle injury, Garcia has started his senior campaign with a bang. His effort Friday brought him to 179 total rushing yards with two touchdowns.

“We're all about playing with confidence and heart - and having fun,” Garcia said.

When reminded that his team takes its most recent victory and last week's impressive 30-0 win over Arroyo Grande into league play, Garcia smiled, and added, “We're having too much fun.”

Even the wide receivers are into the act - a community act, of course.

Diego De Miranda, Nick Rucobo and Steven Rucobo have proven to be the “big three” of the receiving corps - having evenly spread the catches throughout three games. However, it was wideout Erik Silvas' catch that stuck a dagger in the Lions' heart. Silvas lone catch of the night was good for a 27-yard touchdown catch to beat the half.

“I was having trouble throwing the ball through the air,” Renteria said. “Then coach Dickinson called a post to get Erik open.”

He got plenty open over the middle, making the score a commanding 21-0.

Renteria, despite his rocky start, showed no rust after the break. His first toss of the third quarter was good for an 8-yard touchdown to De Miranda. Eastside, on the other hand, struggled mightily on offense, finishing with just 43 total yards.

Credit Panther linebacker Tyler Vogt with the inside pressure and cornerback Colter Souza - also a baseball standout - with the outside containment. Souza's two interceptions came on back-to-back Lions' throws - the first ending the third quarter and the second kicking off the final 12 minutes.

“Colter is our secondary captain,” Dickinson said. “He calls all our coverage and makes all the adjustments in the secondary.”

However, Eastside did score before the Souza picks on a 70-yard drive that culminated in quarterback Lance Goodman's 5-yard fade pass to Michael Elrod - 8:20 remained in the third quarter.

The Panthers responded, mounting an eight-play drive covering 70 yards for the backbreaker. Ando rushed for 10 yards before Renteria found De Miranda - his 6-foot, 3-inch, 185-pound senior target - for 10 more yards. Silvas carried for a 25-yard gain, setting up Steve Rucobo's 11-yard rush and Garcia's 10-yard gain. Renteria capped the drive, opting to keep the carry on a quarterback option. He spinned to avoid a group of Lions before bursting into the endzone on the 4-yard score.

Then, Souza's aforementioned two picks punctuated the Panthers' overall effort.

Sept. 15, 2007