CHATSWORTH — “Football is won in the trenches” is an idiom the Sierra Canyon High football team takes to heart.
On Friday night against Mission League opponent Chaminade, the Trailblazers put that belief into motion, showcasing their dominance on both the offensive and defensive lines in a 45-14 win.
The offensive line helped create holes for Sierra Canyon running back Jaxsen Stokes, and the junior tailback used his speed and athleticism to break off several long runs, including touchdown runs of 53 and 42 yards.
On the defensive side, Sierra Canyon’s front four and its linebackers suffocated Chaminade’s rushing attack – the Eagles had negative-29 rushing yards.
Sierra Canyon’s control of the ground game on both sides of the ball helped the team remain unbeaten at 7-0 overall and 2-0 in league play.
“It was a physical game and I thought we sent a message on the defensive line. I thought our offensive line sprung some big holes for our running backs,” Sierra Canyon head coach Jon Ellinghouse said. “I was proud of the guys on both sides of the line that did a great job all night.”
While Chaminade’s defensive line hung tough, Stokes was able to wear it down and break through for big gains after continuously pounding the ball.
Stokes ran for 135 yards and three touchdowns, and had four runs that covered at least 20 yards. He also had a 63-yard run that was called back by a holding penalty.
His backfield mates – Jerod Terry Jr. and De’Markus Barnes – assisted in the running game too, with the latter scoring a 9-yard rushing touchdown on a direct snap.
Barnes also scored through the air on a 54-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Laird Finkel.
On defense, Sierra Canyon’s front four of Richard Wesley, Mikhal Johnson, Patrick Hill and Chris Smith gave Chaminade (3-4, 1-1) trouble all night.
The defensive line put pressure on Chaminade’s offensive line and Sierra Canyon’s linebackers were able to play cleanup duty.
“It counts to all the work we put in. Our D-line in front of us, they are all dogs. They make it easy for us to penetrate the line,” senior linebacker Ronen Zamorano said. “Trusting your brothers, trusting what gap you have and it goes back to all the work we put in.”
Chaminade’s 14 points are the most Sierra Canyon has allowed in a game all season. The Trailblazers have four shutouts in seven games.
Chaminade had a short field after an interception and was able to score on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jeremy Mellalieu to Andrew Cordero.
Ronnell Hewitt scored a 2-yard rushing down for Chaminade late in the fourth quarter.
Chaminade head coach David Machuca said his team can take positives from the game game despite the loss, as it prepares for a road game against Serra next week.
“I thought our defensive front played really well against their run attack. They have two great running backs, they probably have more than that,” Machuca said. “I think we missed opportunities early in the game offensively and against a great team like Sierra Canyon, you have to execute at a high level.”
Sierra Canyon hosts Notre Dame next Friday, while Chaminade plays at Gardena Serra.