Hilltop defeated host Sweetwater, 35-0, last Friday to wrap up a second-place finish in the Metro-South Bay League standings. Angel Pineda (19 carries, 127 yards) scored four rushing touchdowns while teammate Marcos Valdez (six carries, 45 yards) also scored. The Lancers racked up 349 total yards in the win over the Red Devils (0-3, 1-9).
Despite finishing the regular season with consecutive wins over Mar Vista and Southwest, Hilltop (2-1 in league, 5-5 overall) only managed a No. 10 seed in the Division III playoff and will open post-season play Friday at seventh-seeded Fallbrook (6-4). The winner plays at second-seeded Mission Bay (8-2) in the quarterfinals on Nov. 20.
Hilltop quarterback Alex Tejeda has passed for 1,274 yards with five touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He threw for 138 yards in last Friday’s win.
Pineda has rushed for 430 yards and scored eight touchdowns. Dylan Trenga follows with 337 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Luis Hernandez has collected 527 receiving yards and two TDs.
Defensive leaders include Domonic Esparza with 81 total tackles. He led the Lancers with 11 tackles in the win over Sweetwater.
As a team, Hilltop collected six sacks (2.5 by Andrew Rivera), one interception (by Armando Holahan) and one fumble recovery (by Rivera) in recording the shutout over the Devils.
Rivera leads the Lancers with 14 sacks this season and has recovered three fumbles.
Hilltop’s record is somewhat misleading considering the team has played three teams from higher competition tiers, going 1-2.
“We finished the second half of the season 3-2,” HHS head coach Coy Roelof explained. “We have had key players out due to injuries all season. I’m proud of the team and how it continuse to fight week in and week out despite all of the injuries. The upcoming playoff game is going to be a very tough battle. Fallbrook is a very good team and they are coached up very well.”
Fallbrook was part of a tri-championship in the Valley League along with Valley Center and San Pasqual. The Warriors appear red hot at the moment after scoring 111 points in winning their last three contests.
Eight-man football teams to square off for Commissioner’s Cup
The San Diego Section Division VI playoffs make their informal debut Friday, Nov. 13, when four eight-man football teams take the field in the quest of winning the inaugural Commissioner’s Cup.
The field includes Citrus League champion Ocean View Christian Academy, Ocean League co-champions Chula Vista Calvary Christian Academy and Calvin Christian, as well as the Rock Academy, also from the Ocean League.
Top-seeded Calvary Christian (9-1) will host fourth-seeded Calvin Christian (6-3) at 7 p.m., while second-seeded Rock Academy (7-3) will play third-seeded Ocean View Christian (7-2) in a 6 p.m. game at the Francis Parker School.
Calvary Christian held off the Rock Academy, 52-47, in a game played last Friday at Horizon Christian to tie Calvin Christian for the Ocean League title after Calvin Christian defeated visiting Foothills Christian, 58-22, also last Friday.
Calvary Christian and Calvin Christian each finished with 3-1 league records while the Rock Academy finished in a tie with Foothills Christian for third place in the league standings with 2-2 records.
Ocean View wrapped up the Citrus League title with a 62-8 win over visiting Julian last Friday as Dylan Loewenthal rushed for 112 yards and scored four rushing touchdowns while also completing a 41-yard touchdown pass to Mercado Brandon.
The Patriots rolled over the Eagles with seven rushing touchdowns. Isaac Hernandez (seven carries, 81 yards) scored two rushing touchdowns while Diego Mascerano (two carries, 64 yards) scored one rushing touchdown.
Loewenthal has rushed for 741 yards and scored 11 rushing touchdowns this season. He’s also scored on two kick-off returns for a team-leading total of 13 touchdowns this season.
