Pacific
Guam falls, but still has some hope for playoffs
Stars and Stripes
September 30, 2017
Guam High's Tyrone Rosario slithers ahead for yards through two George Washington defenders. (Donna Rhodes/Special to Stripes)
Guam High's Tyrone Rosario slithers ahead for yards through two George Washington defenders. (Donna Rhodes/Special to Stripes)
George Washington's Aaron Jamarila races to the end zone ahead of Guam High's Ronnie Caudle for the Geckos' first touchdown. (Donna Rhodes/Special to Stripes)
Guam High ballcarrier Jalen Thach tries to elude the tackle of George Washington's Kastino Engichy. (Donna Rhodes/Special to Stripes)
George Washington's Kastino Engichy burrows through Guam High defenders RaSean Jacobs, Tyler Pham and Matthew Linfors. ()
MANGILAO, Guam – Though Guam High is in the throes of a rebuilding year, it appears as if the Panthers may begin the Interscholastic Football League playoffs next month as the No. 6 seed if all goes right next week.
The Panthers lost their next-to-last regular-season game on Saturday 28-0 to George Washington, the IFL’s second-place team, at University of Guam’s Tritons Field. Guam fell to 2-4 on the season, even with Simon Sanchez, which beat the Panthers 20-0 on Sept. 1.
Guam can finish no higher than fifth, but would have to hope the Sharks lose next Friday at Okkodo while the Panthers win at home against Southern.
Either way, Panthers coach Jacob Dowdell, looking ahead to playoffs, started his second- and third-line players in Saturday’s game, hoping to give those players some game reps to get a feel for what game action is like entering the playoffs.
“We are thin across the board,” Dowdell said of a team that remains down to its third-string quarterback, RaSean Jacobs, among other casualties. “We’re just building toward the playoffs. So we gave those guys some game experience so they’d be ready.”
Jacobs accounted for 162 yards of total offense, going 8-for-14 for 121 yards. His younger brother, starting quarterback Travan Jacobs, returns for the Southern game. Jalen Thach had six catches for 115 yards.