Short week? COVID-19 issues? No problem for No. 21 Del Oro High School football team

Ryan Lewis looked calm as he emerged from the Del Oro football team’s postgame huddle to talk to the media. There was some hype preceding Friday’s game against Del Campo; the 21st-ranked Golden Eagles lived lived up to it with a sturdy 36-0 win as Lewis ran and threw for a touchdown.

“I wasn’t so stuttery, and I was able to work down the field,” said Lewis, Del Oro’s varsity starting quarterback for the past three years.

The game drew attention because of the matchup between quarterbacks – Del Campo’s Terrance Ballard, who has swift feet and a lean frame, and Lewis, whose versatility makes him identifiable without looking at his No. 2 jersey. Both are two of the most-promising players in the county.

Ballard took a brutal tackle from the Del Oro defense five minutes before the first quarter wrapped. Just like that, the team’s star-quarterback was icing his arm on the sideline as the Cougars tried to hold the seams of their game plan together.

Lewis wasn’t the top scorer for Del Oro. Gavin Guillen scored three touchdowns, not including a risky rush early into the second quarter that saw him zig-zagging through the Cougar’s defensive line and into the end zone. A yellow flag went up and the play was called back.

No more than a minute later, Lewis responded with a touchdown run of 29 yards to give Del Oro a 21-0 lead. With Del Oro leading 29-0, the pair closed out the scoring for the night with a soaring pass from Lewis to Guillen from 20 yards out for a touchdown.

It was good to be back on the field for Lewis, who spent most of the season rooting for his team on the sideline after a hamstring injury last spring. On top of injury, he also dealt with practice cancellations and competing on short rest after a Monday game.

“It was just another mental hurdle to get over,” said Lewis.

“We always knew that Ryan had the capabilities to do great things, he just needed the opportunity to do so. He finally got it this year,” said coach Mike Maben.

Maben said he was glad to see an improvement to the offensive and defensive plans following Monday’s 13-7 win over Lincoln. The defensive effort included a safety that gave Del Oro a 23-0 lead in the second quarter.

It’s the kind of effort that fuels hope for the Golden Eagles.

“It’s good to keep up the 2-0, and maybe keep the ball rolling heading into the SF League, which is always competitive,” Maben said.

This story was originally published August 28, 2021 at 9:20 AM.