INDIANS SECURE SSL CHAMPIONSHIP WITH WIN OVER GOLDEN VALLEY

TEHACHAPI NEWS - With at least a share of the SSL title already wrapped up, the Indians (8-1; 5-0 SSL) left no doubt who was the top team in the South Sequoia League, exploding for their largest point output of the year to secure the championship with a 58-13 win over Golden Valley.

With the game only minutes old, Tehachapi started field possession at the Golden Valley 15-yard line after an errant Bulldog punt gave the Indians possession in the redzone.  The Indians would need only three plays to punch in the score, with Josh Strauss capping the short field drive with a three-yard run and adding the two point conversion for the 8-0 lead.

On Golden Valley’s next possession, a three-and-out would force a punt to Adam Mullen, who orchestrated a rousing display of jukes and spin-moves to record a 52-yard punt return touchdown.  Josh Strauss added a two-point reverse run to put Tehachapi up, 16-0.

The Indians added another touchdown and conversion for a 23-0 lead, this time on a Franky Rodriguez 11-yard run with eight seconds left in the first quarter.  Strauss added the PAT to put the game away early.

The flood gates were let open in the second quarter by the Indian offense, with Austin Podratz adding Tehachapi’s fourth touchdown of the evening on a 15-yard jaunt, and Adam Mullen tacked on the two point conversion run for the 31-0 Indian lead.  With the Golden Valley frosh reeling, another punt would find the hands of Adam Mullen midway through the second quarter, with the shifty back taking the special teams play all the way to the endzone for the 35-yard score.  Strauss would again connect on the PAT, giving Tehachapi the 38-0 advantage heading into the locker room.

At the start of the third quarter, Tehachapi took a blow when Adam Mullen took an Indian handoff 30 yards to the Golden Valley four-yard line.  Mullen tried to get up after the play but a leg injury forced the Tehachapi player out of the game.  Leaving the game by ambulance, Mullen was greeted with a standing ovation by the Tehachapi crowd as he was taken to the hospital for further evaluation.

Motivated by the injury of their teammate, the Indians Jason Hail made good on the goal line situation, scoring from one-yard out two plays after the Mullen run.  Vincent Ortiz added the two point run for the 46-0 Indian lead.

Tehachapi added two more TD’s in the game, one on a Kurtis Knudsen 30-yard QB keeper, and the other a Damian Rodriguez 47-yard TD run to help give the Indians the eventual 58-point mark.  Both PAT’s were no good after the touchdown conversions.

On defense, Tehachapi logged in their highest interception total on the season in one game, nabbing in five, with Knudsen the recipient of two, and Mullen, Franky Rodriquez, and Jason Hail each getting one.  Vincent Ortiz, Hail, and Mullen each tallied three tackles to pace the Indian defense.

The Indians SSL championship is the first title since the freshman program took back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002.