Merced Union High School District

If there’s one player the Atwater High football team can’t afford to lose to injury it’s senior quarterback A.J. Banks. So when the third-year quarterback limped to the sideline near the end of the third quarter with an ankle injury there were a lot of teammates holding their breath and others shaking their heads. 

 

Despite not having their leader the rest of the way, the Falcons (1-1)  fought hard against a talented Hughson team, but Lawson Aviles scored his third rushing touchdown of the game on a 15-yard run in overtime to propel the Huskies to a 27-21 victory on Friday night at Dave Honey Stadium. 

 

Banks went down with the injury when he was sacked in the final minutes of the third quarter. Coached tried to tape his left ankle, but he was unable to put any weight on it. “Everything changes without him in there,” said Atwater head coach Seneca Ybarra. “With him playing the past three years, we’re able to talk all the time. We’re on the sideline talking coverages, we’ll talk in between plays. He has hours and hours and hours of time he’s put in.”

 

Banks was coming off last week’s 65-64 overtime win over Vacaville in which he set a school record with seven touchdown passes. After Banks left, junior Jayden Ybarra replaced him at quarterback and led a game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter. Jayden Ybarra, who is the son of the Falcons head coach, connected with Isaiah Navarro on a 4-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 21-21 with 2 minutes and 59 seconds left in the game.

 

“Overall I felt we were still able to fight and persevere," said Atwater tight end Vinnie Valladao. “It’s a very demanding spot for Jayden to go in but he really helped us out. He threw that big touchdown, drove the field, we couldn’t ask for more.”

 

Hughson had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation but missed a 25-yard field goal as time expired. For the second consecutive week Atwater found itself in an overtime game. This time the Falcons started out on offense and move the ball inside the five-yard line, but a bobbled exchange between the quarterback and running back resulted in a fumble that was recovered by Hughson.

 

The Huskies (2-0) needed just four plays on their overtime possession as Aviles sprinted into the end zone for the game-winning score. Aviles scored on touchdown runs of 11, 16 and 15 yards on the night. Hughson running back Eli Wilbanks did much of the heavy lifting for the offense, racking up 194 yards on 33 carries.

 

Before Banks’ injury he had scored on a 2-yard touchdown run and connected with fellow senior Sylas Austin for a 53-yard touchdown pass that had given Atwater a 14-7 lead with 27 seconds left in the first half.

 

Seneca Ybarra said the Falcons already came into this week banged up after last week’s Vacaville game. The program may have to buy more five-gallon buckets this week with many players likely needing to be icing ankles next week. “We have to make a trip to Lowes,” Valladao said. 

 

“We couldn't really practice this week because we were banged up a bit after a real physical game last week,” Seneca Ybarra said. “This was another physical game. But I love my team. They’ve proven to me over time that we don't quit.”

 

Shawn Jansen is the MUHSD Program Manager Digital Media. He can be reached at Sjansen@muhsd.org.