San Ramon Valley narrowly defeats Soquel on last-second touchdown

DANVILLE — A nervous energy filled San Ramon Valley’s sideline as the third quarter gave way to the fourth, the score notched up at seven apiece. The raucous home crowd grew antsy, timid. A frustrating loss had been brewing for two hours of real time, appearing more and more likely with every dwindling minute of game time.

When the chips were down, the Wolves’ offense stepped up.

Quarterback Rhett Thompson found Marco Jones for a seven-yard touchdown with less than 30 seconds remaining in regulation, capping off a five-for-five, 57-yard game-winning drive and delivering No. 8 San Ramon Valley a win over Soquel, 14-7.

Thrilling ending in Danville. With 25 seconds left, Rhett Thompson finds Marco Jones for the go-ahead score.

Thompson completed all five passes for 57 yards on the drive.

No. 8 @_SRV_Athletics hangs on to beat Soquel, 14-7. @DarrenSabedra @joseph_dycus @nathancanilao pic.twitter.com/ZlrJ8iILOK

— Justice delos Santos (@justdelossantos) September 7, 2024

“That two-minute drill, (Thompson) just started letting the game come to him and took what they were giving him,” said head coach Aaron Becker. “He was attacking the weaknesses in the defense and letting guys just make plays.”

San Ramon Valley’s game-winning drive began on an unfortuitous note as running back Matthew Garibaldi was tackled behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of two yards, putting the offense at its own 13-yard-line with about two minutes left. Over the next seven plays, the Wolves seamlessly marched down the field.

Garibaldi immediately bounced back with an 18-yard run. Thompson connected with Max Lianides on three consecutive throws for five, seven and 28 yards, putting San Ramon Valley in Soquel territory. Garibaldi, who finished with 115 rushing yards, reeled off a 12-yard run. Thompson found Dylan Deitsch for 10 yards, setting up a first-and-goal situation.

With the game’s final seconds ticking away, San Ramon Valley lined up at Soquel’s seven-yard line. Thompson noticed man coverage; Jones did, too. Thompson dropped back and lobbed a pass to the right corner of the end zone. Jones handled the rest.

“I saw man (coverage) and looked at the quarterback. I said, ‘Hey, I’m going to be open here, he’s going to press up, just trust me,’” Jones recalled. “He threw a great ball.”

“I think we need to take that last drive and just continue to build on it, take our confidence from that,” said Thompson, who completed 14 of 20 passes for 157 yards. “We’re a very capable team up and down, and we’re still getting used to having people step up into these integral roles that were filled by seniors last year. So, if we can continue to build on that week to week, we’re a very high-powered offense. We’re just grinding out some gears right now and figuring it out.”

The Wolves managed their best drive of the night during winning time, but the first 45 minutes of regulation were defined by frustration. San Ramon Valley had its moments over the first three-and-a-half, namely Garibaldi’s 29-yard touchdown run that followed the defense forcing a turnover on downs. For as well as the defense performed, several crucial mistakes held the Wolves back from taking over the game and cruising to a more stress-free victory.

In the second quarter, the Wolves’ offense was dinged for an unsportsmanlike penalty that offset a big gain, curtailing a drive that could’ve ended in a field goal before the half.

In the third quarter, San Ramon Valley’s offense failed to convert a fourth-and-one situation at Soquel’s 18-yard-line. Following the turnover on downs, the Wolves allowed a 52-yard run that paved the way for a game-tying touchdown.

In the fourth quarter, San Ramon Valley’s defense was called for roughing the kicker. The Wolves still forced a punt, but the penalty extended the drive by seven plays and shaved precious time off the clock.

“A little tighter than we would’ve liked, but I knew it was going to be a close game,” Becker said. “We felt that after watching the film of them. They’re a good team. They’re well-coached. They play hard, and they’re really good defensively.”