Servite Takes Long Road to Victory

What kind of game plan do you draw up to stymie the host school when you spend most of your pregame time just getting there?

A ground game, of course.

That’s exactly what Servite did on a trip to the Bay Area for its 28-21 victory over host Mountain View St. Francis Friday night.

The Friars (2-0), behind 164 yards from running back Lamar Mason, rushed 47 times for 266 yards. They jumped out to a 21-0 lead using long, sustained drives, then knuckled down to run out the clock in the fourth quarter after St. Francis (0-3) made it close.

Friar quarterback Adam Ernst completed six of 10 pass attempts for 125 yards. Joey Cicero rushed twice for touchdowns.

Servite got on the scoreboard first with 7:18 left to play in the first quarter, going 74 yards in four plays. A couple of big plays kept the drive alive. Mason got loose on a 33-yard run and Ernst passed 23 yards to end John Morris.

Later in the quarter, an 11-yard St. Francis punt was a key factor in Servite’s second score. The Friars took over at their own 44-yard line and marched 56 yards in eight plays, with Ernst scoring on a one-yard plunge with 32 seconds left in the quarter.

Servite made it 21-0 with just over three minutes left in the first half, going 85 yards in 13 plays. Mason’s 22-yard run prolonged the drive, and teammate Justin Dominick finished it off with a 13-yard scoring run.

St. Francis finally got on the scoreboard late in the second quarter, then made it 21-14 on its first drive of the fourth quarter.

Servite answered the challenge, driving 76 yards for a score with 9:05 left. A 40-yard pass from Ernst to LaShawn George sustained the drive.

But St. Francis came right back, taking seven plays to get into the end zone with 2:02 to go.

Servite got the ball back and ran out the clock.