Depleted By Injuries, Inderkum Tigers Can’t Hold Off Rocklin

TIGER OFFENSE HUDDLES WITH 56 SECONDS LEFT IN THE GAME.

BY TREVOR HORN
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz

There were fireworks in the sky and on the field Friday night as Inderkum fell to Rocklin, 31-22, in front of a packed Homecoming crowd.

The Tigers came into the game on the Thunder home field maybe thinking too much about last week’s storied win over Pleasant Grove than the task at hand.

“Maybe we got a little too high after that big win,” Inderkum head coach Terry Stark said. “I don’t think we are as good as we played last weekend and I don’t think we were what we were this weekend.”

Tonight the Tigers saw an offense riddled with injuries, too much size to overcome against Rocklin’s (2-3) larger linemen and a secondary burned one too many times on the long pass.

“We knew going in that their defensive line was really strong and they’ve dominated every game,” Stark said.

Inderkum’s C.J. Spencer, coming off a career-high 205 yards passing against Pleasant Grove, was pressured on every pass attempt and sacked four times. Spencer’s final pass – a last ditch effort by the Tigers – fell incomplete with 50 seconds left in the game.

“Our offensive line isn’t real big, but they are scrappy,” Stark said.

Inderkum did get on the board first, after senior running back Eric Walters ran up the middle, untouched, for a 46-yard touchdown that gave the Tigers an early 7-0 lead.

“We ask a lot of him,” Stark said. “He is a heck of a player.”

But after a second quarter injury that hobbled Walters for the rest of game, coupled with the season-long injury to fellow running back Josh Montes, the already depleted Tigers (3-1) came up short in their first loss of the season.

“We are better than this,” Stark said. “When you play good teams, it brings out your weaknesses. And now we have to correct those weaknesses. If you play soft teams, you won’t find out what you are not good at. We want to play teams that are special like Rocklin.”

The Thunder came in as a solid team disguised in a losing record. Logan Webb (three touchdown passes) and the Rocklin offense caught the Tigers secondary on three long touchdown passes that were just too much for Inderkum to overcome late.

The Tigers finish off non-league play with a home game next Friday, Sept. 28 against Terra Nova of Pacifica before opening Tri-County play at home against Yuba City on Oct. 5.