Vandals came to play Thursday night against Wells

by Harper Wines

With the need to prove they were better than the team that took the field the week before, the Vandals demonstrated their dominance in the game mere minutes after the first whistle. Sophomore Dean Benson took responsibility for the first end zone appearance and the extra points, starting the game with an 8-0 lead just over a minute into play.

The Vandals then relinquished control briefly, allowing Wells to score and tie the game halfway through the first quarter. But just 20 seconds later, junior Alex McKay traveled nearly half the field to run the ball in for another Vandal touchdown, stacking on the extra points and giving his team a 14-8 lead.

The Vandals displayed their defensive authority throughout the remainder of the quarter, keeping the Leopards more than 50 yards from offensive prosperity. 

Junior Donovan Mears, an offensive and defensive animal, unsatisfied with just the eight-point lead, used the last minutes of the quarter to take the ball into touchdown territory. Quarterback Joseph Minoletti thanked Mears for the setup with a touchdown pass to Benson’s awaiting hands, sending the Vandals into the second quarter with a 22-8 lead. 

Senior Jace Kniefel stepped into the second quarter needing to spend some time of his own in the end zone’s zip code. This led a trail of Wells defenders to secure a touchdown and the extra points for the Vandals less than two minutes into play. 

The Vandals maintained defensive sovereignty throughout the quarter and entered the second half with a 22-point lead. 

But the second half didn’t play out as smoothly, as Wells returned the kick for a touchdown seconds after the start. 

The Vandals didn’t put up any more points until the end of the quarter after capitalizing on a Wells fumble. They followed this a minute later with another Minoletti-to-Benson pass, bringing the score to 44-14. 

The 30-point lead didn’t last long, with the Vandals falling victim to another quick return by Wells junior Joe Dahl. 

The fourth quarter stayed uneventful until the final minute and a half of play when the indomitable Benson brought in another six points for the team. Eureka left the field with their heads high after a 52-20 win. 

They will take on Arizona’s El Capitan Sept. 5 in another non-league game.