Despite a daunting second-half shutout, Castaic football fell in its week three matchup with the San Joaquin Memorial Panthers on Friday.
The Panthers won 21-10 in a game that would become a tale of two halves at Valencia High School.
San Joaquin Memorial (2-1) went up 21-0 before a late field goal in the first half put Castaic (1-2) on the board.
The Coyotes defense turned up the heat in the second half and gave the Panthers nothing to work with and the points to match.
Castaic found a new life in the latter two quarters but could only break the plane on the end zone just once as a scrambling quarterback Khanai Langford hit running back Monty Coleman for a score.
“We battled and came up a little bit short,” Coyotes coach Sirr Guy Shakir said in a phone interview. “There were probably a few plays during the game that could’ve put us in a better situation. We just didn’t capitalize on those opportunities. The kids played hard but there were some execution issues that we need to work out.”
For Shakir, there was no lack of effort or major adjustments in the second half. The young Coyote team simply locked in and improved.
“We were just playing better,” Shakir said. “Effort wasn’t an issue. It was just the execution. We’re young and I know that sounds weird when we have 20 seniors but we’re starting sophomores. We have a lot of guys that didn’t play significant roles last year, so this is their first varsity experience. There is some growth there that I’m proud of, but with that growth, the expectations continue to rise and meet the standard.”
Consistency will be the key to success for the Coyotes, who have one more non-league game before diving into Foothill League play.
“I’m proud of the way the kids battled back. We just gotta be more consistent,” Shakir said.
The Panthers will return home to Fresno to host Garces Memorial. Castaic will hit the road for its non-league finale, a Friday night battle with the Dominguez Dons of Compton. Both games are slated for 7 p.m.
“We want to make sure that we can go into a hostile environment, keep our composure and play well,” Shakir said. “I think this week’s a really good test for us. They do some really good things, especially in space. We’re going to really have to prepare well and play well because they’re pretty talented.”
