SWEETWATER TO PLAY IN DIVISION V TITLE GAME
The high school football season isn’t quite over for the Sweetwater Red Devils and Chula Vista Spartans.
Far from it, in fact.
Both South County high school football teams remain in the mix for San Diego Section divisional championships.
Second-seeded Sweetwater (6-6) will play in Friday’s Division V championship game against top-seeded Vincent Memorial Catholic (9-3) while second-seeded Chula Vista (9-2) will host third-seeded Westview (7-4) in Friday’s Division IV semifinal game.
The Division V championship game is scheduled 7:30 p.m. at Escondido High School.
The Chula Vista-Westview winner will play Friday’s winner between top-seeded Mt. Miguel (10-1) and fourth-seeded Santana (5-6) in the Division IV championship game Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. at Southwestern College.
Red hots
Sweetwater extended its winning streak to three games — two in postseason play — by rolling past third-seeded El Cajon Valley, 38-16, in last Friday’s Division V semifinals. The Red Devils out-gained the visiting Braves 519-205 in total offensive yards (454-86 in rushing yards).
Senior Xzavier Crews rushed 18 times for 84 yards and scored three touchdowns to lift the National City team over the hump while senior Izell Wright (25 carries, 159 yards) and junior Zaryan Crews (eight carries, 13) yards each scored one touchdown. Senior Carlos Delgado had eight carries for 98 yards to buttress the SuHi ground assault.
Zaryan Crews completed three passes for 65 yards — one to each receiver: sophomore Christian Corpus (24 yards), Xzavier Crews (21 yards) and Delgado (20 yards), Xzavier Crews finished the game with 205 all-purpose yards.
According to MaxPreps, Sweetwater is the No. 2 rushing team in the state (behind Caruthers) and No. 1 in San Diego. Caruthers is averaging 422.5 rushing yards per game while Sweetwater is averaging 361.8 rushing yards per game.
Both Xzavier Crews (1,220 yards, 14 touchdowns) and Wright (1,202 yards, seven touchdowns) have passed the 1,000-yard mark this season while Delgado (990 yards, 12 touchdowns) is 10 yards short.
Vincent Memorial Catholic swamped fourth-seeded Hoover, 47-21, in the semifinals to extend its winning streak to three games. Senior Jacobo Elias led the Scots with 285 passing yards and three touchdowns.
“We will stick to what we do best and our recipe for success has been quite simple,” SuHi head coach Ervin Hernandez said. “We have had some of our best practices since I have been here, and our focus is not the team we are playing, but on us as a team. All our kids have been dialed in since the start of playoffs, and they all want to win practice and they look forward to it. They make each other better by correcting and encouraging each other.
“As coaches, you have a special team when you don’t have to coach effort. It is becoming player driven and they are becoming a family and believing in each other and themselves at the right time. When it comes to hitting the sled, performing tackling drills, backs running the mesh, defense doing their jobs well, everyone is dialed in on doing what we do with excellence. We are looking forward to winning practice today leading up to Friday.”
El Cajon Valley finished its season 5-7. Senior Darick Dubose passed for 119 yards and a 15-yard touchdown to senior Shane Hopson while senior Massih Essan rushed for 77 yards with one touchdown. Hopson and senior Chris Cosio each scored two-point conversions.
Star power
Chula Vista overcame a sluggish first quarter to pile up a 21 second-quarter points en route to a 27-10 victory against the seventh-seeded Olympian Eagles (7-5).
Senior Paul Alvarez rushed 18 times for 104 yards and two touchdowns while junior Elijah Gillespie had three catches for 54 yards and one touchdown. Junior Izaac Baca passed for 105 yards.
Junior La’Darrione Perkins had one fumble recovery for a touchdown while Gillespie had one interception. Senior Franky Olmedo blocked one punt.
Senior Matthew Latimer caught a five-yard pass for Olympian’s lone TD. The Eagles took a 3-0 lead on a 24-yard field goal by senior Joshua Carranza.
“I think we were a little rusty from the bye week,” CVHS coach Howard Bannister III said. “We needed a challenge.”
Westview defeated sixth-seeded Bonita Vista (7-5), 14-10, in last Friday’s quarterfinals. Senior Caden Ada-Tannehill (touchdown) and junior Richie Rojas (field goal) scored for the Barons.
The Spartans advanced to the 1998 Division II championship game, a 19-7 loss to Helix.
“The future is in our hands,” Bannister said.
Chula Vista High School senior Paul Alvarez rushed for 104 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead the host Spartans past the visiting Olympian Eagles in last Friday’s CIF playoffs.
Olympian at Chula Vista
Division IV quarterfinals
Photos by Phillip Brents
