The Sweetwater Red Devils are looking good after a 2-0 start to the 2024 high school football season, but first-year head coach Brandon Burris acknowledges the Red Devils’ biggest tests are yet to come, including promotion to the Metro-Mesa League.
So far, the initial foray into the new season has added up to a clean start. After defeating host Morse, 31-6, on Aug. 23, Sweetwater topped the visiting Santana Sultans, 21-7, on Thursday, Aug. 29.
The Red Devils fought to a 7-0 first-half lead on a one-yard run by senior quarterback Zaryan Crews, stopped the Sultans in key defensive situations, and managed to tack on two second-half scores to remain undefeated on the young season.
The Devils play at Clairemont on Sept. 6 and host the Bonita Vista Barons on Sept. 13. Clairemont defeated visiting San Ysidro, 24-20, on Aug. 29 to even its record at 1-1. Bonita Vista lost 28-0 at Chula Vista last Friday to drop to 0-2.
Could the Devils be headed for a 4-0 start after winning last year’s Division V section title and earning a berth in the state championship game?
Stay tuned.
“This is not a surprise,” Burris said after the team racked up 197 rushing yards against Santana to add to the 268 rushing yards it amassed against Morse. “We have a chance to do something special this year.”
The Devils certainly have a special player in Crews, who has matured noticeably from last season. This season is still early, so expect more refined performances as the season progresses.
Crews played a major factor in the team’s latest outing by scoring all three SuHi touchdowns, a pair of one-yard sneaks and a back-breaking 57-yard sideline jaunt, while racking up 141 rushing yards on 18 carries. He also passed for 34 yards to finish the contest with 175 total yards.
The win was the Devils’ sixth consecutive on their home field dating to last season.
The Sweetwater defense did a good job containing senior Kaedyn Hallman, who rushed for 187 yards and scored three times in a 20-7 season-opening win at Canyon Springs.
The National City team limited Hallman to 62 rushing yards and no touchdowns. Junior Caleb Carnes (nine carries, 54 yards) scored the Sultans’ lone touchdown on a three-yard run in the third quarter.
The Devils clinched the non-league win on a goal-line stand deep in the fourth quarter as junior Xander Bennett (six catches, 29 yards) was held short of the goal line on a fourth-down pass.
Santana sophomore signal-caller Josh Pehl passed for 129 yards with one interception.
The Sultans did not generate much offense in the first half but came out in the second half with more purpose. The same could be said of the host team, which benefited from a series of punts by Crews that saddled the visitors on the one-yard line at one point.
Hallman punted three times in the game. A short punt from the end zone set up Sweetwater at the Santana 25-yard line with time ticking down in the first half. Crews passed to junior Sean Carlos to the one-yard line and then took the ball into the end zone himself with 45 seconds left in the half.
The mighty run game set up the Red Devils’ second touchdown. A 33-yard run by junior Christian Corpus (six carries, 56 yards), a 16-yard run by Crews and a 10-yard pass by Crews set the ball at the Santana one-yard line from where Crews bowled into the end zone.
SuHi led 14-0 with 9:33 to play in the third quarter.
The Sultans made a game of it at 14-7 when Carnes bulled into the end zone but Crews promptly burst the Sultans’ balloon when he took off on his epic sideline run, tip-toeing as he dashed to stay ahead of pursuers.
While held scoreless, Hallman remained dangerous with one punt return for 33 yards. He finished the game with 111 all-purpose yards (62 rushing, 16 receiving and 33 on kick returns).
Crews recorded 13 tackles on defense (two for losses) and punted four times for 121 yards, including one punt that rolled for 54 yards to back up the visitors near their own goal line.
“We stuck to our game plan,” Burris said. “They’re a good defensive team, but we knew if we could stick to our game plan that our guys would make plays.”
The Devils did just that.
Carlos had one catch for 24 yards while senior Jacob Gonsalves had one catch for 10 yards. Corpus’ running complemented Crews, who has rushed for 302 yards in two games. Carlos also had one interception on defense while junior Juan Alvarez and senior John Lozano each had one sack.
CV DOWNS BARONS IN 28-0 SHUTOUT
The Chula Vista Spartans started last Friday’s home opener slowly but finished fast with 21 second-half points to hand the visiting Bonita Vista Barons a 28-0 shutout loss.
Senior La’Darrione Perkins gained 170 yards on 23 carries and scored two touchdowns while the hosts added two defensive scores — a fumble recovery in the end zone by senior Blake Franco and a 98-yard interception return by senior Braylon Capers to seal the non-league victory. Senior Jaylen Clark scored on a two-point conversion.
The game started an hour behind schedule because of a late-arriving officiating crew from an afternoon game. The first half was slow-moving with just one touchdown scored late in the first half by Perkins on a two-yard run.
The Spartans (1-1) made amends for the sluggish first half with a blitzkrieg second half. Franco blocked a punt and recovered the loose ball in the corner of the end zone. Perkins, whose longest carry in the game went for 29 yards, scored on another five-yard run and Capers, a transfer from Bonita Vista, stymied the Barons with a pick-six to kill the visitors’ most promising drive of the night with 1:50 left in the game.
The CV defense recorded three sacks — one each by junior Justin Yniesta, junior Darion Frisson-Gaither and junior Isaiah Heard. Yniesta had one 25-yard catch on the night while Heard had two carries for six yards on offense.
Blake Franco – fumble recovery in the end zone for the Spartans. Photos by Phillip Brents
Senior quarterback Izaac Baca completed five passes for 70 yards. Sophomore Gabriel Ruiz had one catch for 27 yards while Yniesta had two catches for 31 yards. Senior Elijah Gillespie had two catches for 12 yards.
Senior Damian Nunes keyed the Barons with 10 tackles, including one for a loss, while junior Alexander Yepis logged five unassisted tackles. Junior Jaydin Lewis recorded one sack for the visitors.
Frisson-Gaither had seven tackles for the hosts.
“Resilience — that was the secret to this win,” CV head coach Howard Bannister III said. “We’re playing with a new defense and the guys were excellent. I’m proud of these boys.”
Chula Vista travels to El Capitan (1-1) for its next game on Friday at 7 p.m. while Bonita Vista hosts University City (2-0) in its home opener, slated for a 6:30 p.m. start.
Photos by Phillip Brents
Knights score first 11-person win in eight years
Victory Christian Academy recorded its first 11-person win in eight years by topping host O’Farrell Charter, 36-6, last Friday.
The Knights (1-1) and Falcons (0-2) battled through a scoreless first half before the visitors rang up 20 points in the third quarter and capped the shutout win with 16 points in the fourth quarter. Victory Christian Academy out-gained O’Farrell Charter 374-248 in offensive yards, not for a lack of effort by both teams.
VCA junior quarterback Austin Dill passed for 170 yards with two touchdowns while junior Gabriel Aguirre rushed for 206 yards on 15 carries and scored two touchdowns. Junior Ben Cordova scored two touchdowns — one receiving and one on a 27-yard interception return.
Cordova had three catches for 84 yards while junior Jayden Gray had four catches for 42 yards and one TD. Gray also had an interception on defense as did junior Max Gardner (two catches, 44 yards on offense). Sophomore Kyle Capili recovered a fumble.
Gardner boomed one 50-yard punt in the game while junior Forest Partch scored on a two-point conversion (passing play). Cordova also scored on a two-point conversion (rushing play).
The Knights put their stamp on the victory with nine sacks, including two each by Partch and juniors Alejandro Rodriguez and Andres Sanchez.
Victory Christian Academy hosts Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac Catholic (0-2) Saturday at 5 p.m. at Bonita Vista High School.
Southwest 32, Mountain Empire 0
Sophomore Leo Holguin passed for 210 yards and two touchdowns while senior Nery Gomez rushed for 170 yards and scored twice to lead the visiting Raiders to their first win of the new season.
Senior Jordan Cretain (nine catches, 61 yards) caught two touchdown passes while senior Conner Davis (six carries, 48 yards) scored one rushing touchdown. Gomez recorded 216 total yards on 170 rushing yards, 33 receiving yards and 13 passing yards.
Cretain had seven unassisted tackles on defense as the Raiders accumulated three sacks.
The Raiders host undefeated Tri-City Christian (2-0) in their next game on Friday (7 p.m. start).
Around the Metro
•Senior quarterback Peter Thomas threw a pair of touchdowns to junior Ceonte Fewell (five catches, 84 yards) while junior Steven Santos rushed three times for 61 yards and one touchdown in Mar Vista’s 51-21 non-league loss to visiting Valhalla last Friday … Senior Marcus Mikhail (12 carries, 109 yards) scored three rushing touchdowns for the Norsemen while fresh,man Paul Sako and sophomore Preston Marcos each had one receiving touchdown … Marcos also had a kickoff return for a touchdown while senior Vinny Coyle scored on a fumble recovery. Valhalla totaled seven touchdowns and one field goal in the game.
- Senior Ryan Claybon and sophomore Josiah Rivers each scored one rushing touchdown in Olympian’s 56-16 loss to visiting Grossmont. The Foothillers scored eight touchdowns – six passing and two rushing. Senior signal-caller Thomas Donovan passed for 454 yards and six touchdowns as Grossmont evened its record at 1-1. Olympian dropped to 0-2.
South County Football Log
NON-LEAGUE
Thursday, Aug. 29
Sweetwater 21, Santana 7
Southwest 32, Mountain Empire 0
Clairemont 24, San Ysidro 20
Friday, Aug. 30
Montgomery 15. Escondido Charter 0
Victory Christian Academy 36, O’Farrell Charter 6
Chula Vista 28, Bonita Vista 0
Granite Hills 56, Mater Dei Catholic 28
Temescal Canyon (Lake Elsinore) 32, Hilltop 26
Capistrano Valley 52, Eastlake 14
Grossmont 56, Olympian 15
Pt. Loma 21, Otay Ranch 10
Calexico 35, Castle Park 7
Valhalla 51, Mar Vista 21
Cal Preps Week 2 Rankings
Top 35 San Diego Section
- Lincoln (1-1), 2. Granite Hills (2-0), 3. Cathedral Catholic (2-0), 4. Mission Hills (1-1), 5. Carlsbad (1-1), 6. La Costa Canyon (2-0), 7. San Marcos (2-0), 8. La Jolla (2-0), 9. Helix (0-2), 10. El Camino (1-1), 11. Mater Dei Catholic (0-2), 12. Rancho Bernardo (2-0), 13. Mt. Miguel (2-0), 14. Del Norte (1-1), 15. Torrey Pines (0-2), 16. Bishop’s (1-1), 17. Oceanside (1-1), 18. Madison (1-1), 19. Poway (1-1), 20. Central Union (2-0), 21. La Jolla Country Day (2-0), 22. St. Augustine (0-2), 23. Santa Fe Christian (1-1), 24. Brawley (1-0), 25. Scripps Ranch (2-0), 26. Steele Canyon (1-1), 27. Pt. Loma (1-1), 28. University City (2-0), 29. Mira Mesa (0-1), 30. Mt. Carmel (2-0), 31. Imperial (2-0), 32. Ramona (1-1), 33. Valley Center (2-0), 34. Eastlake (1-1), 35. Christian (1-1).
Others: 39. Sweetwater (2-0), 40. Chula Vista (1-1), 45. Otay Ranch (0-2), 60. Montgomery (1-1), 61. Bonita Vista (0-2), 62. Olympian (0-2), 63. Hilltop (1-1), 79. Southwest (1-1), 81. Castle Park (1-1), 83. Mar Vista (1-1), 84. San Ysidro (0-2), 85. Victory Christian Academy (1-1)
