When you go see the 2008 St John Bosco Braves play, you begin to expect a few things each game: the Braves will start fast, the D will get sacks and turnovers, QB Keith Price will make (at least) 3 plays that will blow you away, and Bosco will win.  Friday night’s start to the Trinity League season against Santa Margarita didn’t disappoint on any front.  The Braves (6-0, 1-0) were simply too much for the Santa Margarita Eagles (2-4, 0-1) winning 47-21 in a back and forth game that hinged on some key big plays made by Bosco.

The Braves this year have been nothing short of dominant.  Through five games the Braves were averaging a 27 point lead at halftime and had given up only 3 first quarter points all season.  In fact Bosco has had a double-digit lead in the first quarter of each of their last 4 games.  Santa Margarita must have hoped to counter the quick-strike Braves by receiving first, and on their first drive Eagle QB Ryan World hit Sean Willet for a 51 yard slant route setting Santa Margarita up deep into Braves territory.  But on 3rd and 10 at the Bosco 24, World was sacked by senior Thomas Hawkes- the first of many timely plays by the Braves D.  The Eagles went for it on 4^th but turned it over on downs.  Austin Mahr carried 3 times for 26 yards to get the Braves moving, and then Keith Price found Will Shamburger for a 40 yard touchdown. 

On the ensuing kickoff, Santa Margarita return man AJ Cruz took the ball at the 5 and broke for a 95 yard touchdown run, tying the game at 7.  But senior Leon Brooks was not going to let Bosco stay tied for long, and just to one up Cruz and the Eagles, he took the next kickoff 97 yards for the touchdown, 14-7 Braves.  The return game for both teams was strong all night and by the 2^nd half neither coach wanted to kick it deep, instead choosing to squib it on multiple occasions.

Santa Margarita has played a tough preseason and came out of it with a losing record, but surely the Eagles wanted to be prepared for the toughest league in Southern California.  And despite going down twice early they didn’t back down.  The very next possession they ran it 7 straight times, using the Wildcat formation on many of the plays, the Eagles used motion and multiple running backs in the backfield to get down to the Bosco 10 yard line, where Ryan World found Gavin Escobar to tie the game at 14.   And that was only the first quarter!

Starting with excellent field position at their own 45, Bosco didn’t even face a 3^rd down on the ensuing drive and on the first play of the 2^nd quarter Price kept it himself for a 2 yard TD, putting Bosco up 21-14.  And they only got better from there.

Again using the Wildcat, Santa Margarita tried to respond but a holding penalty negated a first down and they had to punt at midfield.  Bosco drove to midfield before having to punt themselves.  And then the Braves D decided to take over.  Starting at their own 20, Santa Margarita was sacked twice and then shanked a punt that gave Bosco the ball back at Santa Margarita’s 30.  Austin Mahr and Keith Price took turns running at the Eagles, with the 5^th run going to Price who took it to the end zone for a 28-14 lead going into halftime. 

Coming out of the half Bosco took the ball to midfield before a sack on Price forced the Braves to punt.  The Eagles return man bumped into his teammate before receiving the ball and immediately was laid out by Bosco’s Yates Tierny.  The refs called a penalty, saying the Eagles return man signaled fair catch- although since he was tied up by his own man it is hard to figure out how he signaled.  The penalty gave Santa Margarita the ball at midfield and they saw their opportunity to get back in the game.  Converting on a 3^rd down and then later on a 4^th down, Santa Margarita finally had some momentum and at the Brave 25 they went for the end zone.  But Brave Leon Mcfadden perfectly played the ball, catching it in his own end zone returning it out to the 17. 

A 3 and out forced the Braves to punt, but a Roughing the Kicker penalty gave Bosco new life.  The Braves moved the ball to midfield by the end of the 3^rd.  And starting the 4^th quarter with a 2 TD lead, Keith Price decided he’d been held in check long enough.  On 3^rd and 2 at the Eagle 41, Keith Price kept it on a draw and broke containment for a 41 yard touchdown- a play only he could make- putting Bosco up 34-14.  This swing- from looking like they were going to score to then having a dumb penalty give the Braves another chance- took the Eagles from possibly being down by 7 in the 3^rd quarter, to being down by 20 in the 4^th. 

On the first play of the ensuing drive Brave DB Leon Mcfadden looked to clearly have picked off Ryan World but the refs ruled it incomplete- prompting some ire from the Braves sideline.  Down by 20, in the 4^th, having just thrown what looked like a pick, many teams would simply give up at this point, but to their credit Santa Margarita and Ryan World put on a passing clinic and marched 71 yards to cut the deficit to 34-21, with the TD again going to Gavin Escobar.  Here’s where it gets questionable though- with 8 minutes to go, down by 2 scores, against an offense that you haven’t been able to stop, the only logical choice seems to be an onside kick.  But the Eagles kicked it deep.  And Keith Price’s stats appreciate it.  Price found Leon McFadden for 28 yards.  And then on a play that looked like it would surely be another sack, Price danced around his backfield before heaving it to Will Shamburger again for another 40+ yard touchdown, 40-21 Braves.  Jaw-dropping play. 

Santa Margarita knew that Ryan World’s arm was their only hope and after two completions- one for 16, the other 31 yards- World threw what looked like another pick, this time to Will Shamburger.  But again, the refs ruled it incomplete.  The collective frustration left Braves coach Kiki Mendoza mimicking a bull on the sideline to show the refs what he though.  Seriously.  It was quite funny.  But fortunately for Coach Mendoza and the Braves, Will Shamburger wasn’t done.  3 plays later, on the Brave 5, Shamburger picked off another one.  Running it back 95 yards for what looked like an amazing touchdown.  The refs weren’t having it though.  And a flag deep in Brave territory took away Shamburger’s 3^rd TD of the game.  Leon Brooks should write them a nice note though, because already having a tremendous night on returns, he was able to run for 5, get a catch for 4, then run for 18, then for another 25.  Not too bad a night for the senior.  But it just wouldn’t be a game without Keith Price doing the incredible; again dodging tacklers in the backfield, again finding a receiver in the end zone- this time it was junior Jerrell Brown for the 22 yard heave.  Making the score 47-21, where it would be a final after a couple of Santa Margarita kneel-downs.

All told Price had another amazing day with over 100 yards on the ground and 3 scores, and another 265 in the air plus 3 more scores.  The Braves defense finished with 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, and the knowledge that they should have had more.  But despite their 6 and 0 record, the Braves now face 4 league games- 3 of them on the road against nationally-ranked opponents.  Scoring 250 points, whiling giving up less than 80, should make anyone smile.  But for this Brave team to truly live up to their potential, they have to stay strong in the Trinity League and that starts next Friday at Orange Coast College against Orange Lutheran.  Here’s hoping that in the next Braves game: Bosco starts strong, the defense get sacks and turnovers, Keith Price makes some incredible plays, and most importantly, the Braves win.