The War Club is headed back to southern Sonoma County after Petaluma’s football squad beat Santa Rosa 41-20 on Sept. 5 in a rivalry that dates back to 1892.

The Trojans turned on the jets offensively in the second half to improve to 2-0 on the season.

The game proved to be tale of two halves. The second turned into a classic shootout between the teams — but it was the Trojans who made the plays when most needed.

How it happened

The Trojans, who totaled more than 400 yards on the ground for the second straight game, got on their front foot early, jumping on the opening kickoff and catching the Santa Rosa return team off guard to recover their own kick. That ended in an Evan Clarke score from six yards out — one of his two touchdowns on the night; he also scored on an 88-yard run late in the fourth.

Santa Rosa responded early in the second quarter when Rashai Thompson broke out for a 73-yard house call for a score.

But the Panthers were forced to play most of the game without senior running back Daniel Mills, who was carted off the field following a serious leg injury on Santa Rosa’s second play from scrimmage.

Panthers head coach Roy Keegan said after the game that Mills broke his leg and will be out for the season.

Although Petaluma led 14-6 at the break, the second half was as back-and-forth as they come, with both teams combining to pile up 41 points after the intermission. No one had more of an effect on the game in the second half than Petaluma’s Brody Stevens, who scored three of his game-high four touchdowns after the break.

Santa Rosa continued to battle, however, as Israel Gomez-Noriega hit Thompson and Andres Nandallapa for touchdowns to keep the Panthers in it.

Key play

While the Trojans’ offense was as explosive as ever, it was the Petaluma defense that stepped up when it mattered most. With the score 35-20 in the Trojans’ favor, Santa Rosa marched down to the opposing four-yard line, looking to make it a one-score game with around five minutes left.

Gomez-Noriega took the snap and rolled right. He fired toward the end zone, but William Hale jumped on it, intercepting the ball on the goal line and giving it back to Petaluma. That set up Clarke’s 88-yard score not two plays later.

Takeaways

After a subpar season last year, Petaluma’s offense is well on its way to being back at its best. With 869 rushing yards over their first two games, the Trojans are showing early just why they could be a dark horse in the Redwood Empire Conference’s Valley division. While there are still some areas needing improvement, this senior-heavy crew has all the potential to go on a deep run.

Petaluma’s running backs in recent seasons have shined, whether it be Chase Miller, Ed Berncich or Silas Pologeorgis, among others. We can now add Clarke to that list. The big bruiser rushed for another 241 yards Sept. 5 to add to the 117 he ran against Montgomery. He pairs nicely with both Stevens (58 yards rushing Friday) and Jonah Crichton (95 yards).

Despite the loss, this Santa Rosa team is tough as nails. After Mills’ exit, the Panthers kept battling. It was one of those games where the final score definitely didn’t do the game justice.

And it also helps that SRHS has one of the most exciting players in the area in Thompson, who was all over the place Sept. 5, rushing for 111 yards and a score, while also hauling in four catches for 71 yards and the long touchdown. With Mills out for the season, Thompson will definitely be the focal point.

Quotable

“We have a long way to go, and made a lot of young mistakes. Hat’s off to a physical team who lost one of their best players, my heart goes out to the kid … I’m really proud of the physicality that we brought, and the bottom line is I think we controlled the line of scrimmage. The kids felt dialed in, and all the mistakes we made early, we picked them up in the second half.” — Petaluma head coach Rick Krist

Up next

Petaluma’s home opener against Analy (1-1) is Friday, Sept. 12. Santa Rosa will head to Healdsburg that night.