2009 - Palmdale

Hart 37, Joshua Shaw (Palmdale's Mr. Everything) 34. For long time Hart fans this was very much like Hart v Loyola in 2000 with Matt Ware (now of the Arizona Cardinals) doing everything for Loyola. Shaw was a man among boys for much of the night.

A couple of other interesting notes: Shaw, who is one of the more highly recruited kids in the country, has verbally committed to USC but was wearing the undereye strips with "Ohio State" on them and apparently is going to the game tomorrow.

Now for the summary.

Hart took the opening kickoff and started at the Hart 24 and moved steadily, if unspectacularly, down the field. The biggest difference from last week - Reyes was 4 of 5 and MacArthur who had a case of the droppsies last week had the seriously sticky fingers tonight (he'll make it to the middle of my list of best single game performances for a receiver on my Hartdad.com site).

Hart got down to the 4 and then FUMBLE. Palmdale recovered at the 9. Washington run for -4. Run by Shaw for 0. Pass by Shaw to Neilson for 95 yards and the TD. 7-0 at 5:15.

Hart started at the 35 and struggled a bit before punting from the PD 45.

PD at Palmdale 2: Washington run for 2. INTERCEPTION by Hairston at the 19. ( I think the PD star running back, Washington, was hurt on this play and never returned.)

After Hart backed up on an illegal procedure penalty, Reyes hit MacArthur at the one-yard line and then took it in himself on the next play. 7-7 at :45 (Hart had only 10 guys out there for the PAT!)

Palmdale: 89-yard kickoff return by Shaw. 13-7 at :29 in the first quarter. (Hart had 12 guys out for the PAT and a penalty was called; on the next attempt, PD had only 10 guys on their side of the ball).

Hart started at the 35-yard line again and MacArthur had a 48-yard catch on the first play. Hart got down to the 20 but missed a 37-yard FG attempt, wide right.

Palmdale for the first time struggled to move the ball and only got out to the 40 before Shaw threw his second INTERCEPTION of the night to Jake Stephens. Hart went 47 yards with MacArthur catching a 5-yard TD pass to make it Hart 14-13 at 5:39 left in the half. A big factor was penalties against PD, one for a personal foul after the play, another for a late hit on the QB and a third for offsides.

Palmdale started at the 35 and got out to the 45 when Shaw took it 55-yards to the house on an option play. The 2-point conversion failed. PD 19-14 at 4:48 left in the half.

Hart came right back on a 68-yard, 6-play drive which included two more MacArthur catches, the second for a 10-yard TD. Hart 21-19 at 2:15 left in the half.

Palmdale moved to the Hart 47 but then, ill-advisedly went for it on fourth down and failed on a pass that was broken up by Cornelius. Hart got the ball with :48 left and scored on a 48-yard 4-play drive, the TD coming on a 36-yard pass to MacArthur. Hart 27-19 with :07 in the half.

PD got buried on the second half kickoff and eventually was forced to punt for the first time. Hart then went 3 and out. PD then scored on a 6-play 76 yard-drive that included a 50-yard run by Shaw down to the 1-yard line. Garba took it in from the 1 for the TD and a 2-point PAT made it 27-27 at 5:21 in the third.

Hart then went on a 10-play 66-yard drive (another 24-yard pass to MacArthur in there) with Stephens scoring on a 1-yard run. Hart 34-27 with :50 left in the third.

PD moved to the Hart 44 but the backup QB fumbled on a sack and Hart recovered but went 3 and out. Shaw then marched the team down to the Hart 24 and then threw a 24-yard strike to Richards for the TD. 34-34 at 5:32 in the fourth.

Reyes then made his only poor passing decision of the evening, throwing to a well-covered receiver. The pass was intercepted by Richards who returned it to the Hart 29. PD got as close as the 14 but a loss on a run and then an illegal receiver down field penalty moved the ball back to the 20. Hairston knocked down a potential TD pass at the goal line and the ensuing 37-yard FG attempt was short.

Hart at the Hart 20 with 1:17 to go: Hart drove down to the 16 on another 27-yard by catch by MacArthur. Hart opted for the 33-yard field goal by Reyes with :08 on the clock. Reyes drilled it. Hart 37-34 with 5 seconds left.

PD had an illegal substitution on the kickoff which rolled to the endzone so the Falcons started at the 15. The Hail Mary was broken up and Hart won!

Comments: MacArthur made up in spades for his drops last week. His 217 yards puts him fifth on the all-time yards in a game list. The 11 catches puts him 7th on that list and the 3 receiving TDs ties him with a bunch of guys for second on that list. Reyes 367 yards passing doesn't move him onto the all-time lists but it was the best performance since the middle of the 2006 season. WR Kevin King had 4 catches (caught everything thrown his was) and once again, Blake Borland was incredibly sure-handed.

Special teams? ARGH! Two KO returns for TDs in two weeks. Too many and then not enough guys on the field. But then a game-winning field goal.

Hart's defense will continue to have trouble coping with guys like Shaw (a "man among boys performance") but then so will just about everyone else. Righetti is likely to meet a confident, competent and fired up Hart team next week.