Play kicked off Friday in both the Metro-South Bay League and Metro-Pacific League. Highlighting the action was Chula Vista Kiwanis Bowl XVI between the Hilltop Lancers and host Chula Vista Spartans.
Hilltop won the game, which doubled as Chula Vista’s homecoming, by a score of 29-6 to capture its third consecutive Kiwanis Bowl victory. The Spartans continue to lead the series 10-6, however.
Jeremiah Rivera scored on a 10-yard run, Gus Ferreira caught a 40-yard scoring pass, Noe Sanchez caught a 30-yard touchdown pass and Greg Marshall returned an intercepted pass 20 yards to account for the Lancers’ four touchdowns in the game.
It was an emotional night for Hilltop quarterback Daniel McPherren, a transfer from Chula Vista, as he returned to play against his former team. He finished the game with two touchdown passes and was handed the team trophy after the game.
Hilltop led, 14-0, at halftime. Chula Vista narrowed the score to 14-6 on a 21-yard touchdown catch by Ubaldo Nolasco in the third quarter. But the Lancers finished the game with two unanswered touchdowns, adding a two-point conversion to cap scoring in the game.
Marshall finished the game with two picks.
As the winning team, Hilltop received a $1,500 check from the Chula Vista Kiwanis Club. Chula Vista received $1,000 as the runner-up team.
Rivera earned Hilltop’s offensive MVP award while Sanchez received the team’s defensive MVP award.
Justin Cantwell was named offensive MVP for the Spartans while teammate Kajahan Duncan was named defensive MVP.
Hilltop head coach Drew Westling was complimentary of the Spartans’ performance, calling the final score not indicative of how close the game really was.
“I told them what a great job they’re doing and to go on and win Division IV,” Westling said.
Both teams are now 4-4 on the season. The Lancers are 1-0 in league play; the Spartans are 0-1 in league play.
In anther Metro-South Bay League contest, the host Sweetwater Red Devils earned pride points with a 13-0 shutout win over the Mar Vista Mariners. Prior to the game, it was announced that the Red Devils had to forfeit their first six games of the season, including all three victories, due to using an ineligible player.
Sweetwater went up 7-0 in the final 30 seconds of a highly defensive first half as Marty Sesma scored on a two-yard run. A long fourth-down catch and carry by Raul Romero to the four-yard line set up the scoring play.
The Red Devils improved to 1-0 in league play, 1-7 on the season; the Mariners saw their four-game winning streak end as they fell to 5-3 on the season, 0-1 in league play.
Hilltop will play Sweetwater next Friday in a matchup of league unbeatens at Chula Vista High School. Mar Vista will host Chula Vista.
Defending Metro-Pacific League champion San Ysidro ended a four-game losing streak with a key 35-6 victory at Castle Park. A touchdown pass from Eleazar Cruz to Joel Torres made the score 14-6 early but the Cougars pulled away.
San Ysidro improved to 1-0 in league play; Castle Park fell to 0-1 in league play, 0-8 on the season.
Montgomery won its third consecutive game by defeating visiting Southwest, 14-7, to start Metro-Pacific League play 1-0.
Leonard Hoar scored to give the Raiders an early 7-0 lead but the Aztecs responded with two touchdowns to secure the win. Hunter Joseph scored on a 27-yard run to seal the victory for the Aztecs, who improved to 5-3 overall.
Southwest is 0-1 in league, 2-6 on the season.
Montgomery will host Castle Park in next Friday’s Warrior Bowl rivalry game while and San Ysidro visits Southwest. The Aztecs and Cougars will meet in the final regular season game, possibly to decide which team wins this year’s league title.
The Otay Ranch Mustangs took a big step toward securing the rights to this year’s Metro-Mesa League championship by defeating Bonita Vista, 61-21, in a game played at Southwestern College.
Gus Espiritu scored four touchdowns to lead the Mustangs, who improved to 3-0 in league play, 6-3 overall. The Barons fell to 0-3 in league play, 0-9 on the season.
There were some early butterflies on homecoming night as Ray Terrones scored on a five-yard run to give Bonita Vista, big underdogs in the game, a 7-0 lead.
But Otay Ranch got into gear following an interception by Josh Lira. Espiritu scored his first touchdown of the night on a five-yard run to tie the score 7-7.
Franklin Forbes hit Terrones on a 37-yard touchdown pass to put the Barons on top 14-7. But the Mustangs came back on a 32-yard TD pass from Puka Stewart to Darrian Williams.
The second half was all Otay Ranch on the scoreboard. Williams scored on an interception return to highlight the Mustang’s defensive efforts. The four touchdowns give Espiritu nine rushing scores on the season.
Otay Ranch has clinched no worse than a tie for this year’s league title and, following a bye week, will play Mater Dei Catholic on Nov. 3 for the league championship.
Mater Dei Catholic fell to 1-1 in league play, 4-4 on the season, following Friday’s 49-7 loss at Eastlake.
Eastlake improved to 6-2 on the season, 1-1 in league play, with the win.
Eastlake will play Bonita Vista in the teams’ annual Battle for the Boot rivalry game next Friday at Southwestern College.
Prep Football Scoreboard
Friday, Oct. 20
Metro-Mesa League
Otay Ranch 61, Bonita Vista 21
Eastlake 49, Mater Dei Catholic 7
Metro-South Bay League
Sweetwater 13, Mar Vista 0
Hilltop 29, Chula Vista 6
Metro-Pacific League
Montgomery 14, Southwest 7
San Ysidro 35, Castle Park 6
Eight Man
Calvin Christian 45, Victory Christian Academy 17
Saturday, Oct. 21
Coastal League
Bishop’s at Santa Fe Christian, noon
Eight Man
Horizon Prep at Ocean View Christian Academy, 3 p.m.
San Diego Section
Playoff Tracker
Division I
Eastlake Titans 6-2
Olympian Eagles 4-4
Bonita Vista Barons 0-9
Division II
Otay Ranch Mustangs 6-3
Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders 4-4
Division III
Mar Vista Mariners 5-3
Hilltop Lancers 4-4
Division IV
Chula Vista Spartans 4-4
Sweetwater Red Devils 1-7
Castle Park Trojans 0-8
Division V
Montgomery Aztecs 5-3
San Ysidro Cougars 4-4
Southwest Raiders 2-6
Eight-Man
Victory Christian Academy 2-4
Ocean View Christian Academy 3-3
San Diego Section
Unbeaten Teams
Division I
Mission Hills Grizzlies8-0
Division II
Ramona Bulldogs 8-0
Bishop’s Knights 6-0
Division III
Southwest El Centro Eagles 8-0
Division IV
San Diego Cavers 8-0
