It was a fresh opportunity for a lot of players in San Diego this week with the CIF’s Sit-Out Period concluding.
Escondido had nine players playing for the first time Friday night in their road matchup at Patrick Henry.
No one was more important than junior running back Bowyn Cannon, who was one of nine Cougars to make their season debut.
Cannon gave Escondido a two-headed monster in the backfield, alongside sophomore Friday Pollard to fuel the Cougars’ 28-14 victory.
“It feels amazing. It feels so good to be back,” said Cannon, who rushed 12 times for 82 yards and a two-point conversion. “The offensive line was too big. They were making too big of holes for Friday and I. I thank them for that.”
Cannon also caught two passes for 21 yards for 103 total yards. Pollard, who has been the fixture in the Escondido running game, rushed for 106 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns.
Escondido head coach Stephen Dixon said Pollard and Cannon were big forces and could lift the offense to new heights.
“Friday’s been phenomenal for us for the past four games, but to have thunder and lightning, so to speak, in Bowyn and Friday is phenomenal,” said Dixon, whose team lost to Patrick Henry in a 45-34 shootout last year. “When the line is moving, Friday and Bowyn complement each other so well.
“Every time they each got a handoff, they were high-fiving each other. They were loving each other up. It was a fun dynamic to see.”
Pollard capped off a nine-play, 75-yard drive on Escondido’s first possession of the third quarter with a 7-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 21-7 for the Cougars (3-2, 1-1 Valley League).
The sophomore running back, who wears No. 34, got the scoring started on the team’s second offensive drive from 34 yards out. That set up Cannon to run it in for the two-point conversion.
Cougars sophomore quarterback Caden Thompson paced the offense by completing 9 of 15 passes for 111 yards. He also contributed to the rushing attack with six carries for 76 yards and a touchdown.
Patrick Henry (4-2, 0-0 City League), who scored 49 points last week against West Hills, got on the board to begin the second half. A 62-yard run by Patriots senior running back Cody Cappelletti set the stage before cashing in from five yards out on the ensuing play.
Cappelletti rushed 10 times for 81 yards and caught six passes from 28 yards. It was his first game this season without 100 rushing yards.
“We’ve not allowed 100-yard rusher up until Oceanside (last week), so we’ve been pretty stingy on defense in the run game, and I think that showed tonight,” Dixon said.
Patriots quarterback Eli Ruiz completed 10 of 18 passes 149 yards and a touchdown, which came on fourth-and-goal from the 6-yard line to senior Jacob Watkins to cut the deficit down to seven, 21-14, with 8:41 left in the game.
Next Friday, Escondido returns home in a matchup against Escondido Charter while Patrick Henry begins City League action at Morse.
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Escondido 28, Patrick Henry 14
Escondido – 8 6 7 7 — 28
Patrick Henry – 0 0 7 7 — 14
E – Pollard 34 run (Cannon run)
E – Gonzalez 19 pass from Thompson (pass failed)
P – Cappelletti 5 run (Montegna kick)
E – Pollard 7 run (Pina kick)
E – Thompson 3 run (Pina kick)