Dayton pounds Greenwave

FALLON - Turnovers were the difference as the Dayton Dust Devils pulled out its second win of season on Friday at the Edward Arciniega Complex.

Led by 148 rushing yards from Tyler Firestone, Dayton dropped the Greenwave, 26-13, in a Northern 3A game. Fallon committed five turnovers - three fumbles and two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown and a blocked punt.

Dayton lost three fumbles as well, but two came on two-point conversion attempts that ended the play.

The Dust Devils controlled the game from the start, moving 66 yards in three plays to take an early 6-0 lead on their first possession. Fallon countered with a drive of its own, but turned the ball over on downs at the Dayton 18.

"We were prepared for what they could do," Dayton coach Rob Turner said. "They have great running backs ... and we knew we had to stop their feet."

However, as play resumed at the start of the second quarter, Fallon senior safety Frank de Braga sustained a back injury that required him to be taken off the field by an ambulance. De Braga was injured after he and Dayton running back Eddy Morales collided helmet-to-helmet at Fallon's 5-yard line.

Both players dropped to the ground, with Morales suffering a stinger, but de Braga barely moved. De Braga, though, was able to move his fingers and toes before being carted away and transported to Banner Churchill Community Hospital for further tests.

De Braga's condition was reported to be stable.

After the delay, Dayton (2-1 Northern 3A, 1-1 overall) missed a 31-yard field goal attempt, but recovered a fumble - one of five turnovers by Fallon (1-1, 1-1) - by Greenwave running back Shawntrell Hubbard at Fallon's 31. From there, Dayton needed only three plays to score, capped by a 14-yard TD jaunt from Sean deRubertis for a 14-0 lead. deRubertis finished with 64 yards on six carries.

The Dust Devils struck again, this time on defense. Fallon marched down the field riding Hubbard for 30 yards on six carries. With the Greenwave at the Dayton 28, Fallon quarterback Morgan Dirickson was intercepted by Tayrn Aguilera, who ran 80 yards for a touchdown.

Fallon got on the board with a 25-yard TD run by Hubbard with 2 minutes, 23 seconds left in the first half. The Greenwave cut the lead to seven in the third quarter when Hubbard scored his second TD of the game with a 5-yard scamper. Hubbard ran for 106 yards.

But Dayton iced the game early in the fourth quarter when Fallon punter Alonzo Williams' punt was blocked and returned to the Greenwave's 20. Firestone punched in his second TD of the game with a 13-yard run.

Firestone ran wide left, but Fallon's defense bottled up the hole, and Firestone cut back against the grain and outran the defense.

for the score.

"The played their middle (line)backers so tight, we down blocked them and kicked out the outside backer and it was wide open," he added. "We watched film on them and it was wide open."

Fallon's offense sputtered all night with three fumbles (two by Hubbard), two interceptions and six penalties for 50 yards including a holding penalty as Tyson Ernst returned a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown. The score was negated and the subsequent drive ended with an Ernst fumble on the Dayton 17.

Fallon quarterback Dylan Tedford went 4-of-5 for 61 yards and Morgan Dirickson went 5-of-7 for 58 yards and two interceptions.

"Penalties and turnovers don't help you," Hill said. "We played real sloppy and we turned the ball. When you turn the ball over five times, you can't expect to win."