QUAKES RUMBLE INTO TOWN FOR 42-13 WIN OVER SACRAMENTO Click HERE for more game photos By Joe Blenkle/Sacramento Sports News SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Apr. 30, 2011) - After looking good in their first two games of the season, the Sacramento Sirens experienced possibly their worst game in years as the team experienced turnovers, misplays and penalties en route to a 42-13 defeat at the hands of the California Quake on their home field at Natomas High School. Coming off a bye week last week, the Sirens looked as though they might continue their dominance over opponents as they scored on their first possession of the game, taking a 6-0 lead over the Quakes with 7:52 left in the first quarter. Driving from near midfield, Sacramento took the ball to the Quakes 10 where Kristy Milanese took it in for the first score of the game. The point after failed as Jennifer Bloom's kick sailed a little wide to leave the score at 6-0. California came right back, however, to take the lead after the ensuing kickoff landed the Quakes on their own 45. On the first play of the possession, Jessica Cheeks ran the ball 55 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 6-6. California opted to run the ball on the PAT attempt and Helen Monterroso took the ball in to give the Quakes an 8-6 lead. Sacramento retook the lead late in the quarter after a California fumble gave the Sirens the ball on the Quakes three-yard-line. It took several plays to punch the ball in as a tenacious Quake defense pushed the Sirens back to the 13. But Katie George took a handoff from quarterback Tralena Wolfe and took it around the right side for the score with 2:37 showing on the clock. Bloom's extra-point kick was good and the Sirens owned a 13-8 lead.
Neither team scored in the second quarter and the Sirens took their 13-8 lead into the locker room. The Quakes owned the second half as penalties, broken plays and turnovers plagued the Sacramento Sirens. Sacramento opened the second half with a short four-possession series and California came back to mount a 70-yard drive for a touchdown. Starting from their own 30, the Quakes drove to the Sacramento two where Knegi Martin took the ball in for the score with 11:21 left. Martin also ran the ball for the conversion to give the Quakes a 16-13 lead. After Sacramento took possession of the ball on their own 24 on the kickoff, quarterback Chantelle Powers was sacked on the first play and then threw an interception to give the ball back to the Quakes. California came back to score on another Martin run with 5:26 left to give them a 22-13 lead. Sacramento's next possession saw another turnover via interception as Wolfe was intercepted by California's Melissa Strother. The Sirens defense held forcing a Quakes punt. After a short possession, however, the Sirens turned the ball over again as the snap on the Sirens punt was fumbled and California's Shalanda King recovered the ball in the end zone for a 28-13 lead with 1:21 left in the third quarter. After the kickoff, the Sirens again lost the ball via fumble, but fortunately this time the Quakes were unable to score. The Quakes did add two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter, however. The first came on a two-yard quarterback keeper by Deb Kuntz with 9:40 showing on the clock. California scored again with 4:43 left on a 10-yard TD run by Martin. Martin also took the conversion run in to up the score to 42-13. Sacramento now owns a 2-1 record. The Sirens will try to regroup next week as the two teams meet again in Los Angeles on May 7. |
