Football: Tesoro 10, Newhall Hart 7

The game was occasionally brutal to watch. Too many mistakes, too many penalties, too many turnovers. Not enough scoring to suit either offensive coordinator. But at the end of a somewhat exasperatingly long night, two things were clear.

Tesoro’s defense is pretty good, and Chazz Roberts is even better.

Anchored by Roberts and Nick Crouch, the defense saved the Titans, who managed to score a 10-7 nonleague victory Friday over visiting Newhall Hart.

Tesoro (2-0), ranked No. 5 in the Southern Section Pac-5 Division, aced out the No. 1 team from the Northern Division with a late score. Hart is 1-1.

Tesoro drove 80 yards in 13 plays and Parker Wells scored from a yard with 1 minute 33 seconds left to send the home fans home happy, but until that final drive, it was pretty ominous for the Titans.

"It was pretty ugly," said Tesoro coach Brian Barnes. "It was one of those where I never felt we got into a rhythm. I thought defense played their butts off all night long. They saved us when it could have been even uglier. Again, sometimes it ain't pretty but we'll take it. A win is a win."

The only other scoring for Tesoro came off the foot of Zach Schottenfeld, who kicked a 25-yard field goal to cap the first drive of the game. After that, there was a lot of frustration, typified by what happened to the Titans midway through the second quarter. Nate Tago ran 36 yards for an apparent touchdown only to have it called back because of a holding penalty—one of 12 penalties (for 120 yards) for the Titans.

Hart, only slightly better, committed 10 penalties for 80 yards.

Tesoro’s offense also committed three turnovers, two of them fumbles by quarterback Matt Adam, who also recovered one of his own fumbles. Adam carried 14 times for 128 yards, but 55 came on the third play of the game. He also completed seven of 14 passes for 67 yards.

Adam’s first fumble gave Hart the ball on the Tesoro 19 but the defense held firm and Roberts had the first of his two sacks on third down to force a punt as Hart went backwards.

Roberts also recovered a fumble. Easily, the 6-foot, 244-pound senior was the best player on the field.

“Chazz Roberts is a man playing with boys,” Barnes said. “He has been a tremendous football players for us for three years. He’s going to have a hell of a year again this year and we’re going to miss him next year, but hopefully we’ll have him 13, 14 more games with him this year.

“Him and Nick Couch are tremendous defensive players for us. They make plays all over for us.”

Hart coach Mike Herrington, who has been coaching 32 years, said Roberts was "one of the best defensive linemen i've seen in all my years of coaching."

Hart’s only score came in the first quarter when Connor Wingenroth scored from 23 yards. The whole drive covered only 54 yards, and the first play—a pass—covered 29. That gave Hart a 7-3 lead with 1:16 left in the quarter, and two plays later, Adam had fumbled inside the Tesoro 20.

Tesoro committed three turnovers in total and got two takeaways, including a fourth quarter interception by Crouch at the Tesoro 17 to open the fourth quarter. 

"I think we knew what it was like to play a good team, they were a good team... I think they know we finally played a good team ad beat them.

Crouch said he thought the victory over such a credible opponent proves that Tesoro is for real.

"I think it will show that our offense can come back when points are needed and that our defense can always keep us in the game," he said.

The Tesoro defense came up big in the fourth quarter. A 38-yard punt return by Trent Irwin set up Hart at the Titans 17. After a first down, the defense forced a 22-yard field goal attempt that missed to the right. That was the difference between a Titan victory and having to go overtime.

Tago and Parker Wells did the brunt of the groundwork, especially in the second half. Tago carried 25 times for 117 yards, and Wells carried 10 for 74.