California uses running game to beat Eldon

ELDON, Mo. - The California Pintos are blessed with a stable of running backs.

Even when the dynamic Dylan Albertson went out in the first quarter with a sprained ankle, there was no drop-off in production. California rushed for 226 yards and benefited from four players finding the end zone on the ground in a 38-0 romp of Eldon on Friday night at Victor Field.

"That was a good sign of a team effort, because even when one of your starters goes out, somebody else stepped up and did the job, and that was good," California head coach Marty Albertson said.

It didn't take California long to score on its first possession. The Pintos capped a six-play, 70-yard drive in just 2:47 when Walker Borghardt took a pitch from Jaden Barr and scampered into the end zone from 18 yards out to make it 7-0 at the 6:02 mark of the first quarter.

Starting in great field position after an Eldon fumble on its next possession, California's Aaron Cuevas eventually drilled a 46-yard field goal to put the Pintos up 10-0 with 2:52 left in the first.

"He's a good kicker," Albertson said. "He hit it by like 10 yards, he hit it really well. He's pretty special."

Seth Fairchild joined the fun at the 9:44 mark of the second quarter with a 46-yard scamper. He went around the left end, received a block and broke two tackles before taking it to the opposite sideline for the score. That made it 17-0 at halftime.

The ground domination didn't stop in the second half.

Jerry Lutz scored from 4 yards out with 5:37 to go in the third period before Barr snuck in from a yard out with 3:13 left in the stanza to make it 31-0.

"Their guys were extremely physical up front, which we knew and expected," Eldon head coach Shannon Jolley said. "When you can't square up pound for pound and you get outmatched, it makes for a long night, and it did tonight."

Lutz then capped the scoring with a 2-yard run with 8:06 remaining in the game. Cuevas kicked the extra-point on all five California touchdowns.

"I thought Seth Fairchild ran the ball great," Albertson said. "Jerry Lutz, we moved him back in the backfield this week, he ran the ball good. All of our backs, Walker Borghardt even ran well."

Fairchild ran the ball 12 times for 106 yards to lead California. Borghardt had eight carries for 49 yards and Lutz rushed six times for 39 yards. Albertson didn't have a rushing attempt in his limited time. Barr was 8-of-11 passing for 109 yards.

Eldon rushed 33 times for 130 yards, led by Wyatt Greenwalt and Zack Lemen, who had 42 yards apiece. Greenwalt was 7-of-16 passing for 125 yards and two interceptions.

California closes its three-game road trip to start the season with an unblemished record, while Eldon falls to 1-2.

"I'm extremely disappointed," Jolley said. "California's an outstanding team, we just did not match their intensity."