After last season’s meeting with Las Lomas High ended in a dispute, the Red-tailed Hawks felt they had something to prove when the Knights appeared on the Tam football 2024 schedule. The Knights also had something to prove, and they made their case loud and clear in a 42-13 victory over Tam.
Last season’s 27-26 overtime loss in Walnut Creek against the Knights was a painful memory for the Hawks. They set about trying to ease that pain Saturday as Tam quarterback Gus Beyer directed an opening drive that covered 74 yards in seven plays.
“We came into this game with a chip on our shoulders,” said Tam junior receiver Octavien Green, who grabbed four catches for a team-high 82 yards and a touchdown. “We know this is a good Las Lomas team and I feel like we could do a lot to improve.”
After a pass interference call against Las Lomas gave Tam the ball at midfield, Beyer wasted little time with a 47-yard strike to the lanky Green, who was speeding past the secondary down the Las Lomas sideline. Green cradled the ball to his chest in midstep and dashed to the end zone for a 7-0 Tam lead just 3 minutes, 10 seconds into the game.
Beyer completed 11 of 20 passes for 205 yards, but the Las Lomas defense tormented him all day as he threw three interceptions and was sacked twice.
“There’s athletic talent there at quarterback,” said Tam’s first-year head coach Anthony Mejia. “There’s definitely a lot we can build on on offense.”
Timo Ural had three receptions for 66 yards for the Hawks. Ethan Koo had six carries for 15 yards as Tam’s running game managed just 49 yards.
Las Lomas, meanwhile, found a formula that worked for the big, powerful Knights, who are hoping to go further into the North Coast Section playoffs after last year’s second-round dismissal.
The Knights brought their wrecking crew to pound the ball through Tam’s defensive line, racking up 190 yards on the ground. Kaden Lagaya ran for a game-high 84 rushing yards on 16 carries.
Lagaya and running mate Kane Sekulich (10 carries for 40 yards) drove the Knights deep into Hawks territory to set up a 13-yard pass from Dylan Thomas to Landon Gilmore for the tying score in the first quarter.
Las Lomas ramped up the energy on both sides of the ball in the second quarter. After a short punt by Tam, the Knights were soon knocking on the Hawks’ door, and Kane pushed the ball across the goal line for a 14-7 Knights lead.
Las Lomas senior Colby Cooley got airborne for an interception near midfield, and the Knights then chewed up the yardage and the clock to set up Lagaya’s five-yard touchdown run for a 21-7 lead over Tam just before halftime.
Las Lomas’ special teams forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff recovery and the Knights tacked on a 23-yard scoring drive in the final minute of the first half for a 28-7 lead.
“Once they figured out that they could hammer the ball against our defensive line, that was their bread and butter,” Mejia said. “For us, it’s a matter of getting back to the basics with blocking and tackling.”
The Knights put the game firmly out of reach with a pair of third-quarter touchdowns, a four-yard run by Sekulich and an 11-yard pass from Thomas to Daniel Downes for a 42-7 edge.
Beyer injected some life into the Hawks, who had little left to lose and everything to gain in the second half. On a third-and 20 play from the Hawks’ 33, he found Cole Kramlich for a 13-yard reception. Beyer then connected with Ural for a pair of highlight plays to get the Hawks back on the board.
After diving for a 29-yard catch to keep the drive going, Ural went to the corner of the end zone and came down with one foot inbounds against a pair of bruising Knights for a 25-yard touchdown.
“Just going into this week, we’re looking to compete every single week,” said Mejia, whose Hawks were coming off a 35-6 road loss to St. Ignatius. “That’s what we’re trying to do and to build off the positives from the week before. I think we’re starting to find our groove now on the offensive side. I don’t think that showed today, but we’re still a young team.”
Tam (0-3) has a big task ahead as the Hawks continue their rivalry with Marin Catholic in a non-league contest at home on Saturday. Although both teams are members of the Redwood Empire League, they compete in different divisions. Marin Catholic beat Tam twice last season, including a 35-16 win over the Hawks in the second round of the North Coast Section playoffs.
“There’s a lot of history there,” Mejia said.
Las Lomas 7 21 14 0 — 42
Tam 7 0 6 0 — 13
T — Green 47 pass to Beyer (Keane kick)
LL — Gilmore 13 pass from Thomas (Lin kick)
LL — Sekulich 1 run (Lin kick)
LL — Silva 5 run (Lin kick)
LL — Gilmore 12 pass from Thomas (Lin kick)
LL — Lagaya 4 run (Lin kick)
LL — Downes 11 pass from Thomas (Lin kick)
T — Ural 25 pass from Beyer (kick wide)
RUSHING — Tam, Stoll 1-23, Koo 6-15, Kelsey 5-8, Beyer 2-6, Ural 1-(minus-3). Totals 15-49. Las Lomas, Lagaya 16-84, Sekulich 10-40, Cordano 9-38, Mercado 4-11, Silva 1-11, Havrilenko 1-6. Totals 41-190.
PASSING — Tam, Beyer 11-20-3 205. Sacks 2-8. Totals 11-20-3 197. Las Lomas, Thomas 12-16-0 136. Totals 12-16-0 136.
RECEIVING — Tam, Green 4-82, Ural 3-66, Kramlich 3-48, Weisberg 1-9. Totals 11-205. Las Lomas, Mercado 2-48, Downes 3-27, Gilmore 2-25, Cooley 2-23, Havrilenko 1-8, Silva 1-0, Lagaya 1-5. Totals 12-136.
Records — Tam 0-3, Las Lomas 3-0.
