On Saturday, the UC Davis Aggies went up against Sac State Hornets for a second pre-season scrimmage, this time hosted by Sac State.  Sac State entered the game ready for a fight after their loss in the previous match up against the Aggies.  The Hornets showed focus and determination in the offensive position but UC Davis again demonstrated a secure defensive line, aggressively holding back Sac State.  

Sac State had the first opportunity to put points on the board when the referee awarded a penalty against UC Davis. Sac State took the kick but failed to get the ball through the goal posts.  Sac State continued to dominate most of the first half with the Aggies pegged back into their half on defense. 

With just a few minutes left in the first half, UC Davis gained possession through a Sac State penalty, executed a clinical lineout and then made a break through the Hornets defensive line.  With heavy support from the forward pack and Guy Barrows (UCD #11), Aidan Moore (UCD #3) planted the ball over the try line giving UC Davis the first points in the game.  The try was not converted.  

Sac State wasted no time with the restart, kicking the ball deep down field. UC Davis fumbled the ball and possession was awarded to Sac State with a scrum right outside the try line.  In a sprint, Sac State's #9 pulled the ball from the scrum and slapped it down over the try line bringing the score level at half time with five points to each side. The Sac State try was not converted.  

The performances from the teams did not change after the half time break.  Sac State brought energy and UC Davis held the defensive line steady frustrating Sac States attempts to move the ball forward.  The Hornets fought hard for every meter gained.  Several minutes into the second half, Max Schoenberger (UCD #10) took advantage of a Sac State penalty, cut up the defensive line and filtered the ball down the field for Harrison Wheeler (UCD #12) to finish the play with another try to UCD.  The try was not converted.  The Aggies reclaim the lead with 5-10.

As the game drew to a close, UC Davis lost their scrum but quickly turned the ball over.  Cole Lipelt (UCD #4) took possession and sprinted the ball over 50 meters to score one more try for the Aggies.  This try was not converted. Final score for the game is 5 to Sac State and 15 to UC Davis.  

Despite securing another win, the coaches and players expressed frustration that the performance did not reflect strong improvement in game management and decision making in offense.  However, the team showed consistency and were able to retain a strong defense throughout the game.  At the post-match debrief, Coach Malpass named Cole Lipelt the Man of the Match.  

The second team took the field shortly thereafter playing two 20 minutes halves.  Although UC Davis put up a good fight in the first half, Sac State dominated the field.  Coach Flynn met with the players at half time and encouraged them to keep working hard out there.  Pablo Braojos (UCD #10) didn't disappoint, scoring their one and only try of the game within a minute of the second half starting.  But, the Aggies seemed to run out of gas quickly in the second half and Sac State was able to score try after try.  The final score was 36 Sac State to 5 UC Davis.  Coach Flynn noted that several of the players showed growth in this game but Pablo Braojos (#10) stood out above the rest.

The coaches and players want to thank all the supporters who came out to Sac State on Saturday to cheer them along.  

By Mary Parton