Generals get victory, but lose quarterback

The Shafter High Generals opened their home schedule with a rout of the Arvin Bears, 56-13, last Thursday night.The victory was a costly one, though, as the team lost the services of their starting quarterback for the majority of the season.

Ezekiel Osborn, the junior signal-caller for the Generals, was injured during the game. Osborn didn't miss a single play and finished the game apparently okay. But, after the game, an examination determined that Osborn had broken his clavicle. He will have surgery on Thursday and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks of the season.

Maryon Sloan celebrated his 17th birthday on Thursday night, and he celebrated a lot and often. Sloan took a punt from the Bears and scored a touchdown for Shafter before they even snapped off an offensive play.

The Generals got the ball back on their next series and scored again with a run by Christopher Espinoza.

On the night, Sloan had a standout game. In addition to the opening score, Sloan returned a second punt 52 yards for another touchdown. He also added a 29-yard touchdown and an interception. Osborn finished the game 10 of 17 passing for 170 yards.

On the ground, Espinoza gained 43 yards and running back Jesus Vasquez had 57 yards. With a running clock in the second half, the Generals only ran seven plays on offense in the second half. Even with that, they still managed to score 21 points more.

The quarterback situation for the Generals is still unclear. Head Coach Jerald Pirerucci has not said who will be replacing Osborn at quarterback. "We are still working that out," he said.

The Generals have a bye next week, with their next game on Friday, Sept. 13, at highly ranked Dos Palos.

The Generals next three games will go a long way in knowing how good the team will be, facing a tough Bronco squad on the 13th, then hosting Edison of Fresno on Friday, Sept. 20, and traveling to Santa Maria to take on St. Joseph on Friday, Sept. 20.