DeFreitas runs wild in Warriors 37-30 victory over Garden Grove
Junior rushes for two touchdowns and 277 yards.
s story
Woodbridge's football team survived a furious second half comeback by Garden
Grove Friday night, holding on for a 37-30 nonleague victory at Irvine Stadium.
The difference in the game was Woodbridge running back Austin DeFreitas.
The 6-foot-1, 192-pound junior had his second consecutive outstanding game,
rushing for 277 yards on 28 carries and two touchdowns.
In addition, he had an 11-yard pass completion. DeFreitas rushed for 153 yards in the opening game victory over Lancaster.
"He only played a half for us last week," Woodbridge Coach Rick Gibson said of DeFreitas. "We kind of knew this was going to be his year. He's worked hard and he's just a great kid and very humble and we love what he can do."
The total was the second best rushing performance in Woodbridge history. The school record is held by Shane Harris, who rushed for 299 yards on 34 carries in 1998.
DeFreitas scored on the Warriors first possession on a 78-yard TD run in the first quarter. As the Argonauts were making a serious run, DeFreitas went over from 5 yards out with 9:34 left in the game to put the Warriors ahead, 37-23.
"We came out tough and my line really got it done tonight," said DeFreitas, who took several direct snaps and ran with the ball. "I don't know if I could do it without them. They really got a push tonight, they stepped up from last week and we got the win. The first carry, I just felt it in my legs and the line was doing good. We had a good week in practice and we just brought it."
Woodbridge (2-0) had a solid first half. Donald Jackson had a 30-yard field goal, David McCutchan had a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown and Philip Hong scored from 3 yards out with 50 seconds left in the first half to put the Warriors ahead, 24-7.
It looked like a comfortable margin.
But it almost fell apart for Woodbridge in the second half when Garden Grove rattled off 16 unanswered points. Mazoe Mascoe had a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown, C.J. Del Real had a 2-yard TD and Garden Grove recorded a safety when the ball was snapped over the head of the Woodbridge punter out of the end zone, cutting the lead to 24-23.
The Warriors got back on track when quarterback Matt Callahan connected with McCutchan on a 67-yard TD pass with 11:46 left in the game to put the Warriors ahead 31-23.
Garden Grove (1-1) battled to the end, trimming the margin to 37-30 when Gabriel Carillo hauled in a 4-yard TD pass. But Woodbridge was able to run out the clock on its next possession.
"They (Garden Grove) battled real hard and we played very stupidly in the beginning of the second half," Gibson said. "We got full of ourselves and just made some very uncharacteristic mistakes, but it's game two and it's better to win those when you play like that than lose, but we got a lot of work to do."
Gibson took the blame for some of the second half problems.
"Some of that was my fault as a coach," Gibson said. "We needed to settle them down and I didn't do a good job of that, so that's more on me than it is on them. The kids battled back and did what they were supposed to do. Austin and the offensive line pushed some people around, that's a good football team."
McCutchan wound up with five catches for 107 yards. Callahan completed 8 of 16 passes for 137 yards, one TD pass and one interception.
The difference in the game was Woodbridge running back Austin DeFreitas.
Austin DeFreitas of Woodbridge breaks the tackle by Garden
Grove's Gerardo Rodarte on a touchdown run during Friday's game.
MIGUEL VASCONCELLOS, FOR THE ORANGE
COUNTY REGISTER
In addition, he had an 11-yard pass completion. DeFreitas rushed for 153 yards in the opening game victory over Lancaster.
"He only played a half for us last week," Woodbridge Coach Rick Gibson said of DeFreitas. "We kind of knew this was going to be his year. He's worked hard and he's just a great kid and very humble and we love what he can do."
The total was the second best rushing performance in Woodbridge history. The school record is held by Shane Harris, who rushed for 299 yards on 34 carries in 1998.
DeFreitas scored on the Warriors first possession on a 78-yard TD run in the first quarter. As the Argonauts were making a serious run, DeFreitas went over from 5 yards out with 9:34 left in the game to put the Warriors ahead, 37-23.
"We came out tough and my line really got it done tonight," said DeFreitas, who took several direct snaps and ran with the ball. "I don't know if I could do it without them. They really got a push tonight, they stepped up from last week and we got the win. The first carry, I just felt it in my legs and the line was doing good. We had a good week in practice and we just brought it."
Woodbridge (2-0) had a solid first half. Donald Jackson had a 30-yard field goal, David McCutchan had a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown and Philip Hong scored from 3 yards out with 50 seconds left in the first half to put the Warriors ahead, 24-7.
It looked like a comfortable margin.
But it almost fell apart for Woodbridge in the second half when Garden Grove rattled off 16 unanswered points. Mazoe Mascoe had a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown, C.J. Del Real had a 2-yard TD and Garden Grove recorded a safety when the ball was snapped over the head of the Woodbridge punter out of the end zone, cutting the lead to 24-23.
The Warriors got back on track when quarterback Matt Callahan connected with McCutchan on a 67-yard TD pass with 11:46 left in the game to put the Warriors ahead 31-23.
Garden Grove (1-1) battled to the end, trimming the margin to 37-30 when Gabriel Carillo hauled in a 4-yard TD pass. But Woodbridge was able to run out the clock on its next possession.
"They (Garden Grove) battled real hard and we played very stupidly in the beginning of the second half," Gibson said. "We got full of ourselves and just made some very uncharacteristic mistakes, but it's game two and it's better to win those when you play like that than lose, but we got a lot of work to do."
Gibson took the blame for some of the second half problems.
"Some of that was my fault as a coach," Gibson said. "We needed to settle them down and I didn't do a good job of that, so that's more on me than it is on them. The kids battled back and did what they were supposed to do. Austin and the offensive line pushed some people around, that's a good football team."
McCutchan wound up with five catches for 107 yards. Callahan completed 8 of 16 passes for 137 yards, one TD pass and one interception.
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