Atwater had to travel to play their first game of the season, but the final result was worth the trip. They slipped by the Vacaville Bulldogs 65-64 on Friday. This was payback for the Falcons, who suffered a 35-21 loss the last time these two teams met.
A big part of Atwater's victory came down to the chemistry between Ali Banks Jr and his top target Sylas Austin. Banks Jr threw for 466 yards and seven touchdowns while completing 71.9% of his passes while Austin picked up 323 receiving yards and five TDs. Austin really caught the secondary sleeping when he pulled down a catch that went for 85 yards.
Atwater was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 220 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 177 rushing yards in eight consecutive games dating back to last season.
Vacaville's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Rome Griego, who rushed for 150 yards and one score, and also picked up 136 receiving yards and one touchdown. Another signal caller making a difference was Brendan Jackson, who threw for 316 yards and four TDs while completing 77.3% of his passes.
Coming up, Atwater will be playing at home against Hughson at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Vacaville, they will head out to take on West Park at 7:15 p.m. on Friday.
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