The slate was wiped clean for last Friday’s Metro-Mesa League opener as Bonita Vista hosted Mater Dei Catholic and Olympian hosted Otay Ranch.
The former contest featured a runaway 42-7 win for the Crusaders while the Mustangs broke a first half defensive standoff to eventually claim a 29-16 victory.
Both Mater Dei Catholic and Otay Ranch boast 1-0 league records in advance of Friday’s matchups that will see Bonita Vista travel to take on Otay Ranch and Mater Dei Catholic host Eastlake.
Eastlake drew the bye in last Friday’s league schedule.
Mater Dei Catholic improved its season record to 3-4 overall following losses to Ramona, Bishop’s, Kearny and Oceanside in a challenging early season schedule.
The Crusaders’ big front line and the running of junior Aiden Calvert complemented each other and proved a challenge for the Barons to overcome.
Calvert scored on a 32-yard run with 5:24 left in the first quarter to ignite the scoring in last Friday’s game at Southwestern College. He tacked on a 37-yard touchdown after breaking loose on a screen pass to double the Mater Dei Catholic lead to 14-0.
Bonita Vista (2-5) scored its lone touchdown with 3:26 to play in the first half when Roland Cota broke loose down the sideline for a 79-yard catch and carry.
Cota scored four touchdowns in the Barons’ previous win, a 29-23 decision over Hilltop, but could not duplicate that against the Crusaders.
Mater Dei Catholic would go on to tack on 28 unanswered points in the third quarter to record the dominant victory.
“We’ve got some big boys left on our schedule but any time you can pick up a win in the Mesa League, it’s a good win no matter who it is against,” explained Crusader head coach John Joyner, whose team’s showing last Friday seemed light years away from its 56-0 non-league loss the previous week at Oceanside.
The Barons, who had their modest two-game winning streak snapped, found it difficult to run against the big MDC line and also find time to pass.
Mater Dei Catholic gave up 121 passing yards but was exceptionally stingy with just 46 rushing yards allowed. The Crusaders recorded three sacks and six tackles for a loss.
“We were making plays on offense and defense,” Joyner said. “We were getting to their quarterback. Our guys were flying. The pass rush was solid all game.”
All of that manifested itself in a third quarter rout.
The Crusaders forced the Barons to punt from their own end zone with the visitors taking control of the ball at the BV 38-yard line. Jayden Flores later scored on an eight-yard run with 8:51 left in the third quarter.
The Crusaders pulled off a trick play to increase their lead to 28-7 with 7:14 remaining in the quarter when quarterback Trevor Appelman engineered a double pass play that saw the ball first go to Flores, who then passed down field to tight end C.J. De Vault, who first tipped the ball in the air before coming down with it securely in the end zone.
The play covered 19 yards after the hosts had turned the ball over on downs.
Flores hauled in a 44-yard pass on a breakaway play with 3:44 to play in the quarter to make the score 35-7.
Alonso Ramirez scored on a five-yard run with 16.9 seconds left in the quarter to cap Mater Dei Catholic’s whirlwind scoring barrage.
The fourth quarter went by quickly courtesy of a running clock.
Joyner called Calvert a “special player.”
“He has breakaway speed but he also runs hard,” the MDC coach said. “He breaks many tackles.”
Lancer Nation
Sweetwater (2-4) hosts Hilltop (2-5) to kick off Metro-South Bay League play on Oct. 12.
The Lancers, who have a bye this week, snapped a three-game losing streak with a 21-14 road win at Mountain Empire last Friday. Hilltop out-gained the host Red Hawks 332 to 218 in total offensive yards while recording a pair of interceptions (one each by Anthony Paz and Tony Candelaria) on defense.
The Lancers scored the only touchdown in the first quarter while Mountain Empire brought the score even at 7-7 with a touchdown in the second quarter.
Hilltop out-pointed the Red Hawks, 14-7, in the third quarter. The teams battled to a scoreless stalemate in the final quarter as the Lancers claimed a one-touchdown edge on the scoreboard.
Joey Castillo completed 15 of 19 passing attempts for 87 yards with one interception. However, he carried the ball 18 times for 73 yards to finish the game with 160 total yards.
Jeremiah Serrano had 18 rushing attempts for 122 yards; Marcos Deanda had eight catches for 50 yards.
Candelaria and Oscar Piceno led Hilltop defensively with 10 tackles each.
Mountain Empire quarterback Gabriel Hydom passed for 162 yards and was intercepted once; he also rushed four times for 40 yards and one touchdown.
Benito Ruiz had one interception for the Red Hawks (3-3).
For the season, Castillo has thrown for 1,349 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. He rushed 48 times for 177 yards and two touchdowns.
Serrano has rushed for 343 yards and one touchdown; Deanda leads the team with 425 receiving yards, followed by Serrano with 308 receiving yards, Dylan McCoy with 273 receiving yards and Marko Aki with 216 receiving yards.
Serrano is the Lancers’ all-purpose yards leader with 651 (343 rushing, 308 receiving).
Piceno tops the Hilltop defense with 59 tackles while teammate Gage Scruggs has made 52 stops, including a team-leading 23 unassisted tackles.
Deanda leads the team with three sacks while Scruggs has two sacks. Both players top the Lancers with 11 tackles for a loss.
Aki has two interceptions while Piceno has two fumble recoveries.
David Delgado has collected 21 kicking points.
Macaiah Faiivae-Iuli leads Hilltop with three receiving touchdowns; McCoy has three touchdowns, including two receiving scores and one touchdown on a punt return.
Hilltop is not currently in playoff position but head coach Drew Westling hopes that will change if his team can save its three best games for the end of regular season play. The Lancers have a chance to wrap up a playoff berth by winning the league championship or at least climb up the Division III rankings with a furious finish.
“We are very excited for the start of a new season,” Westling said. “This should be the most competitive league in San Diego this year. Every team can win or lose any game.”
Chula Vista (2-5) is also receiving a bye this week in advance of Metro-South Bay League play. The Spartans, who host Mar Vista, on Oct. 12, have lost thier last five games. All five losses have come against teams from higher competition tiers.
Mariners, Raiders set to renew Battle for the Bell rivalry game
The San Diego Section playoffs are starting to beckon. Which teams will answer the call?
That’s the question that both the Mar Vista Mariners and Southwest Raiders would like to answer with another win.
Both teams have established themselves as solid playoff contenders in their respective divisions. Mar Vista (4-2) entered the week ranked fourth among San Diego Section Division IV teams while Southwest (3-3) was ranked eighth in Division V.
The top 12 teams in both divisions advance to postseason play.
Southwest will host Mar Vista in Friday’s annual Battle for the Bell rivalry game. Mar Vista is coming off a bye week while the Raiders were in action last Friday, dropping a 21-18 non-league game in Holtville, the current Division V rankings leader.
Raider Nation
Southwest amassed 302 total offensive yards in the loss to the Vikings last week, rushing for 188 yards and passing for 114 yards.
Daniel Belton rushed 16 times for 102 yards and scored two touchdowns while Jovahn Young had six carries for 23 yards and one touchdown.
King Neptune
Mar Vista head coach Tyler Arciaga said he is pleased with the backfield one-two punch of Jacob Galeana (570 rushing yards, nine touchdowns) and Hassan Spruill (560 rushing yards, seven touchdowns). He added that receivers Marcelino Maclang and Marcus Ramirez have been productive in the run and pass game while quarterback Alex Gutierrez has done a solid job managing the offense.
Arciaga said the offensive line, led by senior J.P. Alba and junior Paul Fieweger, have done a solid job of protecting the passer and opening up some holes for the running backs.
Defensively, senior Damon Thomas anchors the defensive line and leads the team with nine sacks and 14 tackles for a loss while junior linebacker Diego Garza leads the team with 39 tackles. Galeana also leads the team with three interceptions and Marcus Ramirez leads the team with eight passes defended.
Arciaga has some personal history tied into the schools’ long-standing rivalry game.
“The Bell game goes back to 1979 when my Dad (R.C. Arciaga) was the head coach at Southwest (and who now coaches with us) and (Mar Vista) coach Nick Nicoloff decided to play a trophy game since Mar Vista and Southwest are geographic rivals (most of the kids went to school or played youth sports with each other).
“It’s always one of our most well-attended games and emotions are always high. Regardless of the records of the teams, you can always count on both teams to come out with a high energy level to have bragging rights for the area. This is the most talented Southwest team I have seen in a while and coach Paco Silva is doing a good job giving his heart and soul to his alma mater.”
Prep Football Kickoff
Friday Night Lights
Metro-Mesa League
Friday, Sept. 28
Otay Ranch 29, Olympian 16
Mater Dei Catholic 42, Bonita Vista 7
Friday, Oct. 5
Bonita Vista at Otay Ranch, 7 p.m.
Eastlake at Mater Dei Catholic, 7
Non-League
Friday, Sept. 28
Sweetwater 56, San Ysidro 0
Hilltop 21, Mountain Empire 14
Monte Vista 28, Chula Vista 6
Holtville 21, Southwest 18
Vincent Memorial 21, Montgomery 17
Friday, Oct. 5
Sweetwater at Montgomery, 7 p.m.
Mar Vista at Southwest, 7 p.m.
Castle Park at El Cajon Valley, 7 p.m.
Eight-Man
Friday, Sept. 28
Foothills Christian 68, Calvary Christian Academy 0
St. Joseph Academy 58, Ocean View Christian Academy 20
Borrego Springs 50, Victory Christian Academy 36
Friday, Oct. 5
St. Joseph Academy at Victory Christian Academy, 7 p.m.
Calvary Christian Academy at Julian, 7 p.m.
MaxPreps/Top 10 Rankings
(Through Oct. 2)
Division I: 1. Cathedral Catholic (5-1), 2. Torrey Pines (6-0), 3. La Costa Canyon (5-1), 4. Helix (3-3), 5. St. Augustine (5-1), 6. Eastlake (5-1), 7. San Marcos (5-1), 8. Madison (4-2), 9. Carlsbad (3-3), 10. Mission Hills (2-4). Others: 14. Otay Ranch (4-3)
Division II: 1. Granite Hills (6-0), 2. Point Loma (4-2), 3. Poway (5-2), 4. Ramona (4-2), 5. Vista (4-2), 6. Lincoln (5-1), 7. Valley Center (4-2), 8. Mira Mesa (4-2), 9. San Pasqual (3-3), 10. Bishop’s (3-3). Others: 11. Mater Dei Catholic (3-4), 12. Olympian (1-6), 15. Bonita Vista (2-5)
Division III: 1. Christian (6-0), 2. Monte Vista (5-1), 3. Central Union (6-0), 4. Brawley (5-1), 5. Morse (4-2), 6. Santa Fe Christian (3-3), 7. University City (4-2), 8. Imperial (3-3), 9. El Capitan (2-4). 10. West Hills (5-1). Others: 16. Hilltop (2-5)
Division IV: 1. Kearny (6-0), 2. San Diego (4-1), 3. Del Norte (4-2), 4. Mar Vista (4-2), 5. Santana (4-3), 6. Chula Vista (2-5), 7. Serra (3-3), 8. Calexico (3-3), 9. Coronado (5-1), 10. Classical Academy (4-2). Others: 12. Sweetwater (2-4), 14. Montgomery (2-4)
Division V: 1. Holtville (5-1), 2. Francis Parker (6-0), 3. Vincent Memorial (5-1), 4. Tri-City Christian (5-1), 5. Orange Glen (5-1), 6. Palo Verde Valley (3-3), 7. Maranatha Christian (4-3), 8. Southwest (3-3), 9. Mountain Empire (3-3), 10. Castle Park (2-4), 15. San Ysidro 0-7
Eight-man standings: Calvary Christian Academy (4-1), Victory Christian Academy (2-3), Ocean View Christian Academy (0-5)
Prep Football Pictorial
Mater Dei Catholic at Bonita Vista
Photos by Phillip Brents
