CV Loses Third in Row to Saugus

Starting from their own 25-yard line, the Falcons' offense opened up the second quarter with their first drive of the game. Salazar finally settled down and led a six-play drive with both his arm and his legs, passing for one first down and running for two more, setting up a first-and-10 at the 16-yard line. A holding call stalled the drive.

Faced with a three-TD deficit about halfway through the second quarter, Eberhart elected to go for it on fourth-and-two from the Centurions' 8-yard line. Salazar's pass fell incomplete and the Falcons turned the ball over on downs.

Sensing a possible momentum swing, the Centurions' offense went back to work and marched right back down the field, setting up a 38-yard field goal by junior kicker Jeff Jalapan. Saugus went into the locker room with a 24-0 half-time lead.

"We aren't doing a good job of blocking or tackling and if you can't do those two things you aren't going to win a lot of football games and that's why we trailed by so much at the half," Eberhart said.

The Falcons came out in the second half with a lot more fire than they had to start the game. CV's defense used back-to-back sacks to force a punt on the Centurions' first possession.

On CV's first offensive play from scrimmage in the second half, Salazar threw a deep ball into triple coverage, but senior wide receiver Gabriel Balderrama pulled up and made leaping catch through the three defenders. Perhaps more miraculous than that, Balderrama then broke free of the would be tacklers and carried the ball in for a 53-yard score, making it a 24-7 game.

Saugus answered right back. Starting from their own 19-yard line, the Centurions came back with a 10-play drive that was capped by a 31-yard option play to Schaffer for his third score of the game. Saugus held a 31-7 lead at the end of three quarters.

The Falcons had their opportunities to get back into the game, but several times Salazar over shot receivers who were wide open, deep in the Centurions' secondary.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Falcons' defensive back Davon Jackson recovered a fumble at the Saugus 24-yard line. This set up a 13-yard strike from Salazar to junior tailback Chris Stroh, making the score 31-13.

Trailing by 18, the Falcons elected to go for two, but the two-point conversion failed and the Centurions recovered the ensuing onside kick.