LA PUENTE – Not many things went right for Servite in Friday’s nonleague game against Bishop Amat of La Puente.
Offensively, the Friars struggled out of the gate, going three-and-out on their first four possessions and they didn’t gain a first down until midway through the second quarter.
In the end, all of those woes added up to a long night for first-year Coach Scott Meyer and the ninth-ranked Friars in a 28-10 loss.
“The second quarter we put together a really good drive, but after that, it felt like we just missing a little bit on offense,” Meyer said. “We couldn’t put together another drive.”
The drive in the second quarter resulted in the Friars’ only touchdown. On the other side of the field, Bishop Amat, which opened the season with a 24-21 loss to Mater Dei last week, had a lot going in its favor on offense.
The Lancers (1-1) responded with a drive right before halftime to take a 13-7 lead.
Amat quarterback Damian Garcia rushed for 72 yards and two touchdowns and completed 21 of 27 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns.
The Lancers did a great job keeping the Servite defense off balance, either with Garcia in the passing game or Dominic Barrera on the ground.
“The quarterback really hurt us,” Meyer said. “We did a pretty good job in coverage, but he had some big runs that got them some key first downs.”
The Friars (1-1) got within 13-10 when Asa Fuller capped their opening possession of the second half with a 38-yard field goal, but that was as close as they got.
Garcia scored on a 13-yard run on Bishop Amat’s next drive, followed by a successful 2-point conversion. In the fourth, the Lancers capped a 15-play, 92-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Garcia to Tyler Vaughns.
That drive sealed the victory, and a play early in that possession played a key role. With Bishop Amat backed up inside its own 10, Servite thought it had forced Garcia into an interception, but the officials threw a flag in the secondary for a holding penalty on the Friars, keeping the Lancers’ drive alive.
“I thought that was a good stop,” Meyer said. “They’re going to punt from their end zone, but they get that call … whatever, it is what it is.”
Unlike last week, when Servite’s offense put up big numbers in a victory over Fountain Valley, quarterback Tyler Lytle couldn’t get on track. He completed just 6 of 23 passes for 53 yards. Terrell Bynum had just two receptions.
“They’re a good defense,” Meyer said of Bishop Amat. “They were getting some good pressure on him and their secondary and linebackers were doing a good job in coverage. That was a good defense.
“That was a good football team, but so are we. We’re going to get better and better every week. By the time Trinity League comes, we’re going to be ready to roll.”
The nonleague schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Friars as they travel north next week to face traditional power De La Salle of Concord.
Contact the writer: dcalhoun@ocregister.com
