Timely offense — and defense — helped the Otay Ranch Mustangs extend their winning streak to five games. It’s been a whirlwind turnaround following a 0-3 start.
Senior Johnnie Welborne rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another to lead the Otay Ranch offense while senior Omar Lopez recorded a sack on the final play of the game to stall the visiting Sweetwater Red Devils on the five-yard line in a Metro-Mesa League encounter last Friday at Otay Ranch High School.
Final score: Otay Ranch 21, Sweetwater 17
It could have played out quite differently as the Mustangs stopped the Red Devils three times inside their five-yard line.
Welborne, playing in his first start behind center, scored on runs of 66 and 57 yards and passed 19 yards for a third score.
On defense, junior David Smith had two sacks, four total tackles for losses, while junior Kurstin Mitchell and Lopez were both credited with two tackles for losses. Senior Joey Brinkman caused a fumble.
SuHi senior quarterback Zaryan Crews rushed 29 times for 139 yards and six other Red Devil ball-carriers combined for 264 rushing yards. But it was bend but not necessarily break for the Otay Ranch defense, which was otherwise dominant in the air by limiting Crews to just 10 passing yards.
Senior Nassir Hicks had 16 carries for 65 yards and two touchdowns while senior Ethan Euresti had seven carries for 26 yards.
Senior Giovanni Aceves tacked on five kicking points on two extra-point conversions and a 27-yard field goal.
Hicks had one interception on defense.
The loss dropped Sweetwater to 4-3 on the season, 0-1 in Metro-Mesa League play.
A potential league championship game could be set up Friday as Otay Ranch travels to likewise league unbeaten Mater Dei Catholic. Sweetwater hosts Eastlake (0-1, 1-6).
On a Crusade
Meanwhile, Mater Dei Catholic rolled to its fourth consecutive win following a 0-3 start after downing host Chula Vista, 45-14, last Friday to improve to 2-0 in league play and drop the Spartans to 0-2 in league.
Senior quarterback Kartell Purvis threw for 257 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Crusaders’ potent passing game while senior Isaiah Cook caught six passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns.
Senior Matt Carr (one catch, 41 yards) and sophomores Diego Mendoza (one catch, 22 yards) and Julian Cromartie (two catches, 38 yards) each caught one touchdown pass.
All passing touchdowns came in the first half as the Crusaders built a 42-6 halftime lead.
Junior Caron Scott had a 25-yard interception return for a score.
Carr added 60 yards on two punt returns for 101 all-purpose yards while junior Larell Parker had two kickoff returns for 50 yards.
“Caron Scott made a great play on an interception return as well that helped us score early,” Mater Dei Catholic coach Rashard Cook said. “That got us out to a big lead and were able to get another league win.
“Next up is Otay Ranch and we will need to continue to move the ball through the air and on the ground and play solid team defense. You want to be playing your best football in October and November make a deep playoff run.”
Junior Jordan Dumaran led the MDC rushing attack with two carries for 31 yards while senior Gael Aguilar rushed five times for 20 yards. Junior Angel Mendoza booted a 45-yard field goal.
Junior Noah Cook paced the Mater Dei defense with 10 tackles.
The Crusaders out-gained Chula Vista 315-245 in total yards.
Senior Elijah Gillespie (five catches, 79 yards) led the hosts with eight points — six points on a receiving touchdown and a two-point passing conversion. Senior La’Darrione Perkins (19 carries, 112 yards) had six points on a rushing touchdown.
Senior quarterback Izaac Baca completed seven of 18 passes for 91 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
The Spartans recorded three sacks — two by junior Benjamin Rivera and one by sophomore Elijah Richardson. Sophomore Jaylen Clark had one interception.
Chula Vista hosts Sweetwater in the teams’ annual Legacy of Pride rivalry game on Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m.
Metro-South Bay League, Metro-Pacific play kicks off with intrigue
Which team will win this year’s Metro-South Bay League and Metro-Pacific League championships and, in the process, snag automatic San Diego Section playoff berths?
That’s a very good question as there doesn’t appear to be any standout favorite.
The Olympian Eagles are the defending Metro-South Bay League champs while there is no returning Metro-Pacific League champion.
The Eagles defeated Castle Park, 40-7, in a non-league game last Friday at San Ysidro High School to snap a three-game losing streak right in time for league play to start.
“We need to continue to build off this success for the start of league play against Hilltop (on Friday),” OHS coach Brad Carter said. “We need to continue to stop the run defensively and capitalize on the big plays offensively.”
Junior Jaylen Fuentes passed for 207 yards and four touchdowns to lead Olympian (2-5 overall), which received pick-sixes from junior Carlos Lopez and senior Nezar Gonzalez. Senior Gustavo Cinco had four PAT conversions.
Senior Tyler Esqueda-Johnson (seven catches, 89 yards) caught two scoring passes while seniors Jayden Sandoval (two catches, 58 yards) and Arnaldo Mora (three catches, 38 yards) each caught one touchdown pass.
Lopez, Gonzalez and freshman Jaylon McNeil each made interceptions on defense. Returns by Lopez and Gonzalez each went 30 yards.
Senior Abrahm Alicea and Ryan Claybon each logged 14 tackles to key the Olympian defense.
Castle Park dropped to 2-4 with its third consecutive loss.
Olympian’s challengers include the Hilltop Lancers, Montgomery Aztecs and Bonita Vista Barons — all of whom have strung together modest win streaks in recent weeks.
Hilltop has won its last three games while Bonita Vista and Montgomery both have two-game winning streaks.
Interestingly, all four Metro-South Bay League teams defeated their Metro-Pacific League counterparts in the final round of non-league play last week.
Hilltop 32, Southwest 0
The host Lancers celebrated homecoming with the shutout win over the Raiders. The hosts led 29-0 at halftime on 16 points in the first quarter and 13 points in the second quarter.
Hilltop rushed to victory as senior quarterback Kneko Vasquez (12 carries, 66 yards) and senior Andy Bautista (11 carries, 56 yards) both scored on the ground, sophomore Lajuan Johnson (six carries, 17 yards) scored on an interception return and junior Manny Pablos kicked four field goals.
Vasquez completed nine of 12 passing attempts for 156 yards, including a 47-yard completion to senior Mason Vaquero (three catches, 72 yards). Senior Juan Matuz had three catches for 57 yards.
Pablos led the winners with 14 kicking points — 12 on field goals and two extra-point conversions. His longest field goal was 35 yards.
The Lancers out-gained the Raiders 299-119 in offensive yards.
Freshman Isaac Munoz led Southwest with 93 total yards, including 91 passing yards and two rushing yards.
Senior Nery Gomez rushed 12 times for 25 yards as the visitors were held to 28 rushing yards. Senior Jorge Gastelum had two catches for 41 yards.
The Raiders dropped to 3-4 overall with their third straight loss.
Bonita Vista 41, Mar Vista 12
First-year Barons coach Jay Hernandez called the Thursday night win over the visiting Mariners a “great team victory.”
“It was Staff Appreciation Night and the players did not want to disappoint the faculty,” Hernandez said. “Our players have to continue executing their assignments and understand the adjustments that need to be made if necessary. Our league is competitive, and our first league opponent Montgomery is a very tough team. They have a lot of stars offensively and defensively.”
Bonita Vista is starting to develop its own stars. Senior Isayah Luna passed for two touchdowns, senior Trayvon Davis (four catches, 64 yards), Heydon McMackin (two catches, 52 yards) and sophomore Nathan Lindquist (one catch, 75 yards) each had touchdown receptions while senior Kenneth Jordan (13 carries, 101 yards), Lindquist (two carries, 33 yards) and senior Estevan Flores (two carries, four yards) each scored rushing TDs.
Junior Greyson Smith (four-of-four) passed for 135 yards and one TD.
The Barons will host the Aztecs for homecoming at SWC.
Game summary:
Montgomery 55, San Ysidro 0
Freshman Isaiah Mena-Malijan accounted for 267 total yards by completing 176 passing yards and rushing for an additional 91 yards, scoring twice on the ground and twice through the air. Junior Andie Deanda logged 110 total yards with 73 receiving yards (one touchdown) and 37 rushing yards.
The host Aztecs notched eight touchdowns in the non-league game. Senior Amio Fox scored two touchdowns: one rushing on four carries for 35 yards and another on a 32-yard interception return. Juniors Isaac Espinosa (three carries, 45 yards) and Viliamu Trollinger (three carries, nine yards) each added rushing touchdowns while senior Zantez Thomas (two catches, 47 yards) hauled in one touchdown pass. Thomas also had a 44-yard punt return.
Trollinger amassed 12 tackles on defense and one sack. Sophomore Adrian Bowman had five PAT conversions while junior Xavier Guerrero scored on a two-point pass play.
Montgomery out-gained San Ysidro (2-5 overall) 428-99 in total yards.
South County Football Log
Thursday, Oct. 10
Non-League
Bonita Vista 41, Mar Vista 12
Friday, Oct. 11
Metro-Mesa League
Otay Ranch 21, Sweetwater 17
Mater Dei Catholic 45, Chula Vista 14
Standings: Mater Dei Catholic 2-0, Otay Ranch 2-0, Eastlake 0-1, Sweetwater 0-1, Chula Vista 0-2
Non-League
Hilltop 32, Southwest 0
Olympian 40, Castle Park 7
Montgomery 55, San Ysidro 0
Eight-Person
Manzanita League
Ocean View Christian Academy 21, West Shores 8
CalPreps Rankings
San Diego Section
Top 50 Teams
- Lincoln (5-2), 2. Cathedral Catholic (6-1), 3. La Costa Canyon (7-0), 4. Mission Hills (6-1), 5. San Marcos (6-1), 6. Granite Hills (5-2), 7. Carlsbad (5-2), 8. Torrey Pines (3-4), 9. El Camino (4-3), 10. Rancho Bernardo (6-1), 11. Mt. Miguel (6-1), 12. Oceanside (5-3), 13. Scripps Ranch (6-0), 14. La Jolla (5-2), 15. Del Norte (4-3), 16. Santa Fe Christian (6-1), 17. Mater Dei Catholic (4-3), 18. University City (7-0), 19. Mt. Carmel (5-2), 20. Imperial (8-0), 21. Poway (3-4), 22. Helix (2-5), 23. Bishop’s (4-2), 24. Brawley (6-1), 25. Christian (5-2), 26. Madison (3-4), 27. Pt. Loma (3-4), 28. Central Union (6-2), 29. Valley Center (6-2), 30. Holtville (7-0), 31. San Diego (5-2), 32. Otay Ranch (5-3), 33. La Jolla Country Day (4-3), 34. Escondido (4-3), 35. Patrick Henry (5-3), 36. St. Augustine (0-8), 37. San Pasqual (2-5), 38. Eastlake (1-6), 39. Steele Canyon (4-4), 40. Ramona (1-6), 41. Grossmont (4-3), 42. Chula Vista (4-4), 43. El Capitan (4-3), 44. Westview (3-5), 45. Army-Navy Academy (5-2), 46. Mira Mesa (0-7), 47. Vincent Memorial (6-1), 48. Mission Bay (2-6), 49. Montgomery (4-3), 50. Calexico (3-3)
Others: 53. Bonita Vista (3-4), 54. Sweetwater (4-3), 57. Hilltop (4-3), 66. Olympian (2-5), 74. Southwest (3-4), 79. Castle Park (2-4), 80. San Ysidro (2-5), 83. Mar Vista (1-6), 84. Victory Christian Academy (3-5)
