RICHMOND — Salesian might not be the same team that won the North Coast Section Division IV championship last season with a 28-21 overtime victory over Middletown. In fact, the Pride might be better.
Marcial Malic rushed for four first-half touchdowns on Saturday as Salesian built a 33-0 halftime lead en route to a 33-7 victory over the Middletown Mustangs at Salesian High School in Richmond.
Middletown (0-1) avoided the shutout with an 8-yard Anthony Castaldo run in the final minutes of the game.
“We were just outclassed,” Middletown coach Bill Foltmer said of his team”s season-opening loss. “They are more physical than us, they were more talented than us. They are ranked 13th in the Bay Area overall.”
The final score might have been even worse, according to Foltmer, had not Salesian pulled off the dogs in the second half.
“If it wasn”t for coach Nightingale subbing early and often, it would have been a lot worse,” Foltmer said of his Salesian counterpart, Chad Nightingale. “Our inexperience showed and our softness in certain positions showed.”
Fortunately the Mustangs won”t face another Salesian on their regular-season schedule, according to Foltmer.
“They beat any other team on our schedule 50-0,” Foltmer added. “That”s how good they are.”
Anchored by Stanford-bound offensive lineman Freddie Tagaloa, The Pride has a huge line that dominates, according to Foltmer. Malic, a Division I-type prospect, runs behind it.
“Coach Nightingale said he”s one of the best he”s ever coached and he”s coached some great ones (such as Jahvid Best),” Foltmer said. “He”s a small little scatback and he”s good. Malic put on a show.”
Malic scored on runs of 3 and 23 yards in the first quarter to give Salesian a 12-0 lead. The Pride added another 21 points in the second quarter on a Malic 16-yard run, a Nick Boyett 18-yard touchdown pass, and a Malic 34-yard run.
Salesian”s first 12 points came in the opening minutes.
“They drove the field for their first score, we threw an interception and before you know it, it was 12-0,” Foltmer said.
The Mustangs turned the ball over three times to Salesian”s none and were limited to 110 yards on offense.
Going into the game, Foltmer said the Mustangs knew a victory over the Pride was a long shot and he was more concerned with how the team responded to an early bout of adversity.
“My core guys, I wouldn”t say they didn”t play hard, but no one stood out,” Foltmer said. “I was expecting more from those guys.”
The Mustangs will have to regroup against an Upper Lake team that routed Portola 47-14 in its opener Saturday. Led by a group of juniors who were a combined 18-2 as freshmen and sophomores at the JV level, the team has more talent than its had in years.
“Between the (Lake County) scrimmage and their first game, I was quite impressed,” Foltmer said of the Cougars. “They moved the ball against us in the scrimmage, but we also moved it against them.”
As for Salesian, Foltmer added, “We”ve got to put this game behind us. They were a far superior team.”
Middletown hosts Upper Lake on Friday beginning with junior varsity action at 5:30 p.m.
