The Joaquin 7th grade running tandem of Nate Belrose and Peyton Martinez saved one of their best rushing performance for the final game of the 2011 season as they combined for 175 yards on the ground and all five of the Rams' touchdowns as the team finished the season with a convincing 34-14 victory over Union Grove at Ram Stadium Thursday night.
With the win, Joaquin finished the 2011 season with a District 9-2A D-II mark of 3-2.
Belrose led the Joaquin ground attack with 105 yards on nine carries, while Martinez had his highest touchdown output of the season with three scores to go along with 70 yards on nine attempts. Hunter Harper also stepped off 62 yards on just two carries.
Other rushers for Joaquin include Brock Lawson with 18 yards on five carries and Jamarcus Watts finishing with 12 yards on just two carries.
But it was Union Grove which took the early lead. The Lions hit paydirt with 3:52 left in the opening stanza when Reeves scored on a 35-yard run. He also added the 2-point conversion to give UG an 8-0 advantage.
The score seemed to awaken the Rams, who then drove 50 yards in nine plays to cut into the lead. Martinez went in from three yards out as Joaquin trimmed the lead to 8-6 with 39.6 seconds left in the first stanza.
The momentum shift continued in the second quarter when Belrose found the endzone from 25 yards out with 4:05 left in the half. Harper tacked on the 2-point conversion and the Rams took the lead for good, 14-8.
Justin Bloodgood put Joaquin back in business when he recovered a fumble. Four plays and 62 yards later, Belrose was dancing in the endzone with a 30-yard scoring romp. That gave the Rams a comfortable 20-8 lead at intermission.
But the Rams gave the Lions new life in the third quarter as Joaquin fumbled on the first play and Alex Mahan recovered for Union Grove. The Lions only had to drive 24 yards for the score, and they did it in five plays. Austin Owens connected with Austin Garrett for a 13-yard touchdown with 3:23 left in the third to trim the JHHS lead to 20-14.
Joaquin then widened the gap with a Martinez 18-yard touchdown with 1:10 left in the period as the Rams led by 12, 26-14.
After a four-and-out by Union Grove in the fourth, Martinez put the final 'nail in the coffin' with 4:30 remaining when he finished a 4-play, 74-yard drive with a 10-yard TD run. Lawson converted the 2-point conversion and the final was in.
(Statistics compiled by Darrell Martinez)