By Mitch Stephens
MaxPreps.com
DANVILLE, Calif. - Quarterback Joe Southwick was as good as advertised.
Maybe better.
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound junior was cool in the pocket, overcame a pair of interceptions and completed 21 of 31 for 256 yards and three touchdowns as San Ramon Valley-Danville held off visiting Amador Valley-Pleasanton 23-13 in opening East Bay Athletic League play on Friday.
But it was the little advertised defense that led the Wolves (3-0-1), our 13th ranked team in the Bay Area, to victory over the No. 15 Dons (3-1).
They gave up just 191 total yards - 219 below what Amador Valley averages - and two touchdowns, 35 points less than the Dons score per game.
"This one definitely goes to the defense," San Ramon Valley coach Dave Kravitz said. "Last week we were all offense and no defense. The first two weeks we had plenty of both. It was a great defensive effort tonight."
Southwick, who now has thrown for 1,092 yards and 15 touchdowns, was in total agreement.
"Frankly, I think our defense is the heart and soul of our team," Southwick said. "After last week they really got after it at practice and it paid off tonight."
Last week. Oh, don't talk about last week to the Wolves.
After a pair of resounding wins - 54-6 over Alhambra-Martinez and 42-7 over San Leandro - San Ramon Valley gave up a pair of late touchdowns in a humbling 35-35 tie with unranked Washington-Fremont.
The defense, led by outstanding linebacker play from Kai Cummings, Steve Callaway and Harmon Bruno, and overall secondary play, came into Friday's game with a collective chip on its shoulder.
"We came in angry and with a point to prove," Cummings said. "We feel like the entire world was lifted off our back."
The Dons hadn't scored less than 42 in their three previous games, but San Ramon Valley held the vaunted fly offense to 132 yards rushing.
Amador Valley quarterback Pat Espiritu, who came in with good numbers, was just 5 of 14 for 59 yards and two interceptions.
Both of those came in the fourth quarter, one by safety Dan Smithwick after a leaping deflection by cornerback Tyler Seller.
On Amador Valley's last possession, Seller intercepted Espiritu with a diving grab.
"Those guys did a real good job playing our pitch," Amador Valley coach Rick Sira said. "They got us out of what we like to do and they really pursue well to the ball."
Three turnovers and a missed chip-shot field goal prevented San Ramon Valley from piling up more points.
But Southwick completed touchdown passes of 46 and 24 yards to Greg Wilson, his only catches of the game, and a 9-yarder to Joey Tidwell (10 catches, 85) that opened the scoring.
Ryan Fitzgerald, who came in with a team-high 15 catches, had six catches for 89 yards.
Combined that with 105 yards rushing on 22 carries, mostly up the middle, by Mike Mellinger, and the Wolves had plenty to win going away.
Amador Valley scored on a 6-yard run by Chip Becker and a terrific 6-yard reception by Pat Gondkoff after Espiritu was flushed from the pocket and fired a strike from the left sideline.
San Ramon Valley's defense made the Dons earn every yard and point.
I'm disappointed that we didn't play better or execute as well as I'd like on either side of the ball," Sira said. "I'll take responsibility for that."
After the teams exchanged turnovers to start the game, Southwick led a nine-play, 78-yard scoring drive capped with a terrific scramble and 9-yard TD pass to Tidwell.
Flushed from the pocket, the mobile 6-foot-2, 180-pounder sprinted left and lofted a perfect pass to the left corner of the end zone where Tidwell made the grab with both feet just inbounds.
"They were bringing a lot of pressure all night," Southwick said. "(Joey) found an open spot and I found him."
After Becker's TD run, Southwick hooked up with Wilson for the play of the game, checking off on two other receivers before finding the fleet senior racing down the middle of the field.
Wilson had a step on Nick Vuoto and Southwick unleashed the 46-yard TD, giving the Wolves the lead for good, 14-7.
"I saw he had a step and he's the fastest kid on our team," Southwick said. "I just laid it out there and he did the rest."
A 39-yard bomb to Fitzgerald just before halftime put the ball at the Amador Valley 2, but a motion penalty pushed the back and a third-down pass from the 3 was dropped. The Wolves had to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Steve Roberts to make it 17-7 at halftime.
Following a scoreless third quarter, the Wolves went up 23-7, going 55 yards in 10 plays capped by a 24-yard TD pass from Southwick to Wilson. It came one play after Southwick, who was sacked three times, was called for intentional grounding.
The 5-yard penalty came from the point of where Southwick threw the ball out of bounds - a 20-yard loss overall - making it first-and-goal from the 24.
No matter.
Southwick found Wilson in the left corner of the end zone, giving the Wolves a 16-point advantage with 9:31 remaining.
"(Southwick) makes very good decisions and finds ways to get the ball to difficult spots," Sira said. "He was very impressive."
The Dons, who played without arguably their best running back Casey Guillory (hamstring), made a game of it with a 65-yard drive capped by Espiritu's athletic scramble and touchdown pass to Gondkoff.
An 18-yard fourth-down pass from Espiritu to Vuoto keyed the drive. A two-point conversion pass was knocked away and the Dons trailed 23-13 with 6:09 left.
A bad punt snap led to great field position for Amador Valley, which started on SRV's 42 with just under five minutes remaining. But after a 12-yard run by Becker, Seller tipped Espiritu's pass and Smithwick made the interception to all but seal the win.
"We learned our lesson quickly from last week and that makes me proud," Kravitz said. "I think there might be a silver lining to (the tie)."
E-mail Mitch Stephens at mstephens@maxpreps.com.
