The Encinal High football team suffered its first and last loss of the 2017 season. The Jets undefeated season ended after a 49-32 defeat to Cardinal Newman of Santa Rosa Friday, Nov. 17, on the road.

The Jets could not contain the rushing attack of Cardinal Newman (9-2) as their top-two rushers both went over the 100-yard mark. Cardinals’ senior running back Tanner Mendoza rushed for 115 yards on just 19 carries. He also scored three rushing touchdowns, all in the first half. Senior quarterback Beau Barrington did most of his damage on the ground to the tune of 112 yards on 13 carries with two touchdowns. 

The Jets got off to a bad start in the contest. The West Alameda County Conference Shoreline League champions allowed a touchdown on the Cardinals’ opening possession on a five-yard touchdown run by Mendoza that gave North Bay League champions a 7-0 lead. Things got worse for Encinal when senior quarterback Theori Oliver fumbled on Encinal’s first play from scrimmage. The ball was recovered by Cardinal junior linebacker Nick Wall on the Jets’ 29-yard line. Four plays later Mendoza again scored on a two-yard run to give the Cardinals a 14-0 lead. Encinal answered back when Oliver scored on an 18-yard run, but the two-point conversion failed and it was 14-6 Newman.

Mendoza scored his third touchdown in the second quarter on a 10-yard run to give his squad a 21-6 lead. Barrington got into the scoring mix later in the quarter with a three-yard quarterback keeper into the end zone. Encinal sophomore Teddy Oliver answered with an 84-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, the Jets failed another two-point conversion and trailed 28-12 at the half.

The deficit only grew larger in the third quarter. The Jets did not score in the quarter, but the Cardinals did. Barrington completed one of his four passes on a 57-yard touchdown pass to Nikko Kitchen for a touchdown to make the score 35-12, which was the largest deficit of the game. 

The two teams traded touchdowns throughout the final quarter. Oliver threw touchdown passes to Taj Banks Jr. and to Kenden Robinson Jr. He also rushed for a score. The Cardinals answered with a 40-yard touchdown run by Barrington and an 11-yard touchdown run by Jason Moran. Oliver ended the contest going 25-of-31 passing for 211 yards and two touchdowns. 

The Jets concluded the 2017 season 11-1 overall and 5-0 in the Shoreline League. The game was played at Santa Rosa Community College due to the damage to Cardinal Newman High School as a result of the North Bay Fires last month.