Upset! Northgate stuns No. 12 Las Lomas, hands crosstown rival first loss of season
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October 05, 2024
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Northgate players celebrate while posing for photos after their 35-21 win over Las Lomas in the Battle of the Creek high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (Photo by Anda Chu)
WALNUT CREEK — After Northgate’s 35-21 victory over Las Lomas on Friday night, quarterback Brady Willis struggled to find the words to describe how he felt.
The senior came off the field smiling and pumping his fist in the air as the clock hit zeroes at Northgate’s football stadium.
“I’m just speechless,” Willis said after the game. “I’ve just been waiting for this for so long.”
Northgate quarterback Brady Willis (12) runs the ball Las Lomas’s Cruz Silva (6) and Blake Lewis (16) in the fourth quarter of a high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto to defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu)
In front of a raucous home crowd, Northgate upset its crosstown rival at home to win the annual Battle of the Creek game. Las Lomas, which was No. 12 in the latest Bay Area News Group rankings, suffered its first loss of the season after winning its first five.
The victory was just Northgate’s second in the last seven games against Las Lomas. The Broncos last defeated Las Lomas in 2022 in the North Coast Section playoffs, but hadn’t beaten the Knights in a regular season game since 2017.
“We haven’t won the Battle of the Creek in seven years,” said wide receiver Blayne Ballard. “Tonight was just unbelievable. This was just something special for everybody.”
Willis completed 8 of 12 passes for 152 yards and three touchdowns. Ballard hauled in five catches for 130 yards and two scores.
“They play each other, grow up with each other, and so this game is a big deal,” said Northgate coach Ben Ballard. “But we really just talked about one play at a time and they did a really good job of that.”
Northgate defensive lineman Liam Fruchtenicht was a game changer from the outset.
Early in the first quarter, the sophomore picked off a pass at the line of scrimmage, setting up the Broncos’ first score of the game. Northgate went up 7-0 after Willis found Ballard for a 14-yard touchdown pass just minutes after Fruchtenicht’s interception.
On the ensuing possession, Fruchtenicht made good on another Las Lomas mistake, this time recovering a muffed handoff in the backfield. The fumble recovery led to another Willis-Ballard touchdown connection as the senior pass catcher took a screen pass 29 yards to the house, giving Northgate a 14-point lead.
Northgate quarterback Brady Willis (12) scrambles against Las Lomas’ Troy Sequeira (50) in the third quarter of a high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto to defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu)
“Just the turnovers on defense alone gave us a great start in the beginning,” Ben Ballard said of Fruchtenicht’s impact. “I think that just set the tone for the rest of the night.”
Las Lomas’ offense started to get going midway through the second quarter. Landon Gilmore made a spectacular one-handed catch near the right pylon for a five-yard score that cut the Northgate lead to seven.
But the first-half momentum was short-lived. On the next possession, Northgate went 68 yards in five plays, capped off with a 11-yard touchdown pass from Willis to sophomore receiver Dax Gordon.
Northgate led 27-14 at halftime.
“We just didn’t do well in that period and we came out flat,” said Las Lomas coach Doug Longero.
Las Lomas started the second half firing on all cylinders. On Northgate’s first possession of the third quarter, senior cornerback Joshua Lim picked off a deep pass and gave Las Lomas the ball 58 seconds into the second half.
The Knights capitalized on the turnover, scoring on an 11-yard pass from quarterback Dylan Thomas to junior fullback Cole Havrilenko to make it a one-score game once again.
Las Lomas quarterback Dylan Thomas (12) throws the ball against Northgate in the fourth quarter of a high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto to defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu)
But as the moment got bigger, so did Northgate’s confidence. The Broncos got the ball back with 1:37 left in the third and completed a nearly five-minute drive that ended with Willis keeping the ball on an option play and scoring from five yards out to make the score 35-21.
Down 14 points, Las Lomas moved down the field quickly through the air. But Northgate’s defense was stingy in the red zone, and after 14 plays, got the stop on a crucial fourth down that gave it the ball back to the Broncos with three minutes left to ice the game.
As Northgate’s student section rushed the field, the energy from the win reverberated throughout the Broncos’ sideline. Players celebrated by taking selfies with the Battle of the Creek plaque while fans screamed with excitement from the stands.
“The Battle of the Creek is always a hyped game,” Ben Ballard said. “It never mattered what our records are. I’m just happy that the boys came out today and played hard. At the end of the day, it was a great game and a great win.”
Northgate student fans run onto the field after the teams 35-21 win overLas Lomas in the Battle of the Creek high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (Photo by Anda Chu) Northgate players and student fans celebrate after the teams 35-21 win overLas Lomas in the Battle of the Creek high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (Photo by Anda Chu) Northgate players and student fans celebrate after the teams 35-21 win overLas Lomas in the Battle of the Creek high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (Photo by Anda Chu)
Though Northgate’s offense was explosive in the win, it was the Broncos’ defense that kept the team ahead. Coming into Friday’s game, Las Lomas averaged 40.6 points per game, led by a potent rushing attack. But Northgate forced three turnovers and kept the Knights out of the end zone when it mattered.
“We just came down, stopped the run and then they couldn’t get many passes off,” Fruchtenicht said. “We just had energy as a defense and we played together.”
For Las Lomas, Longero hopes the loss serves as a learning lesson.
“It’s a wake up call,” he said. “We got to get better as a team.”
Northgate improved to 3-3. The Broncos will get a bye week before playing Benicia in its first league game of the year.
Las Lomas dropped to 5-1 and will start league play next week when the Knights host Clayton Valley.
Northgate student fans celebrate in the final seconds of the Battle of the Creek high school football game against Las Lomas in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu) Las Lomas’s Colby Cooley (11) fails to catch the ball against Northgate’s James Mayse (13) in the fourth quarter of a high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto to defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu) Las Lomas’s Roman Mercado (5) catches a pass in the fourth quarter of a high school football game against Northgate in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu) Las Lomas’s Colby Cooley (11) catchers a pass against Northgate’s James Mayse (13) in the fourth quarter of a high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto to defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu) Las Lomas quarterback Dylan Thomas (12) scrambles under pressure from Northgate in the fourth quarter of a high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto to defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu) Northgate’s Ethan Chang (8) runs the ball against Las Lomas’s Blake Lewis (16) and Kevin Lin (21) in the fourth quarter of a high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto to defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu) Northgate’s James Mayse (13) celebrates after breaking up a pass intended for Las Lomas’s Landon Gilmore (3) in the fourth quarter of a high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto to defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu) Northgate’s James Mayse (13) celebrates after breaking up a pass intended for Las Lomas’s Landon Gilmore (3) in the fourth quarter of a high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto to defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu) Las Lomas’s Landon Gilmore (3) runs the ball against Northgate’s Owen Fruchtenicht (20) in the fourth quarter of a high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto to defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu) Northgate quarterback Brady Willis (12) is congratulated by teammate Yotam Gayer (58) after Willis scored s touchdown against Las Lomas in the fourth quarter of a high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto to defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu) Northgate quarterback Brady Willis (12) scores a two point conversion against Las Lomas’s Cole Havrilenko (9) in the fourth quarter of a high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto to defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu) Northgate’s Ethan Chang (8) runs the ball against Las Lomas’s Landon Gilmore (3) in the fourth quarter of a high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto to defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu) Northgate quarterback Brady Willis (12) heads of the end zone and a touchdown against Las Lomas in the fourth quarter of a high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto to defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu) Northgate’s Ethan Chang (8) runs the ball against Las Lomas’s Thomas Wood (44) in the third quarter of a high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto to defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu) Las Lomas’ Kane Sekulich (7) runs the ball against Northgate’s Ethan Kengla (9) in the third quarter of a high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto to defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu) Las Lomas’ Kane Sekulich (7) runs the ball against Northgate in the third quarter of a high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto to defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu) Las Lomas’s quarterback Dylan Thomas (12) runs the ball against Northgate’s Liam Fruchtenicht (17) in the third quarter of a high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto to defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu) Las Lomas quarterback Dylan Thomas (12) is tackled by Northgate’s Liam Fruchtenicht (17) and James Mayse (13) in the third quarter of a high school football game in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto to defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu)
Northgate’s Ethan Chang (8) takes the handoff from quarterback Brady Willis (12) in the third quarter of a high school football game against Las Lomas in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Northgate would go onto defeat Las Lomas 35-21. (Photo by Anda Chu)
