The Chula Vista Kiwanis Bowl tophy is back in the hands of the Chula Vista Spartans. Just don’t say it was easy winning it back from the Hilltop Lancers.
The Spartans defeated the Lancers, 36-27, last Friday to reclaim bragging rights in the west side schools’ annual rivalry game. The contest, played in front of a large Hilltop crowd, proved different from previous match-ups in the Kiwanis Bowl series in that it was close throughout.
Usually, the games have been blowouts for one side or the other. Last year, the Lancers claimed a rare 21-7 win on foreign soil. However, Hilltop could not claim a first in the 13th annual bowl meeting by winning back-to-back games.
Chula Vista now leads the series 10-3.
“It was scary at first,” admitted CV defender Angel Gonzalez, who earned the Defensive MVP award for the Spartans. “We stepped up and played hard. We came to get that win.”
It was a key interception by Gonzalez with 2:42 left in the game that sealed the win for the visitors.
The Chula Vista Kiwanis Club, sponsors of the game, awarded the victorious Spartans with a $1,000 check in the post-game awards ceremony while the Lancers received a check for $500.
Jaylon Candler earned honors as the CVHS Offensive MVP. He scored on a 52-yard touchdown burst with 4:40 to play in the third quarter to trim the Lancer lead to 27-21 and also added a two-point conversion run on a 10-yard TD run by teammate Nick Cuevas with 2:56 remaining in the game to account for the final points in the exciting back-and-forth contest.
Hilltop quarterback Daniel Sanchez, who passed for one touchdown and ran for another score to lead his team in the game, was named Hilltop’s Offensive MVP while teammate Edi Sanchez was named the Defensive MVP for the Lancers, as selected by the Kiwanis Bowl committee.
The win was the first of the season for Chula Vista — and the first for new head coach Drew Westling, who received the ceremonial water bucket dunking by his team after the game.
The loss was the second consecutive for Hilltop.
Both teams are now 1-2 on the season.
“It’s all about never giving up and believing in your teammates,” Candler noted.
The Spartans scored on their opening possession in the game. Chris Alonso scored on a one-yard run to punctuate the CV scoring drive with 8:17 to play in the first quarter, and the visitors took a 7-0 lead on the successful PAT kick.
CV quarterback Mario Cabada made a bad choice in trying to get rid of the ball to avoid a sack in a subsequent possession. He side-armed a pass right into the hands of Hilltop’s Jammin Solis, who returned the gift 35 yards for a touchdown to tie score 7-7.
The Spartans went up 14-7 with 5:58 to play in the second quarter when Cabada passed six yards to Demetrius Gibbs in the corner of the end zone.
Sanchez then hooked up with Bryton Madarang on a 35-yard scoring pass with 4:14 remaining before halftime to tie the score 14-all.
An interception by Hilltop’s Emilio Ugarte set up a 37-yard sideline scoring jaunt by Sanchez with 7:27 left in the third quarter.
21-14 Lancers.
Dylan Trenga then recovered the ensuing pooch kick for the hosts to initiate another scoring drive — one capped by a five-yard run by Angel Pineda with 4:51 left on the clock in the third quarter.
But the visitors responded immediately as Candler ripped off his 52-yard TD run. The successful PAT kick narrowed the Hilltop lead from 27-14 to 27-21 with a full quarter to play.
A fumble recovery by Chula Vista helped put the visitors in field position for their go-ahead touchdown scored with 7:28 left in the game. Andrew Raffe hauled in a short scoring pass from Cabada to put the Spartans in the lead at 28-27.
Chula Vista closed out the game with another touchdown and interception.
“We challenged the kids at halftime, we were beating ourselves,” Westling said. “They responded.”
“We had it, we let it slip away,” Hilltop’s Sanchez noted after the game. “But I’m still proud of my team — we win as a family and we lose as a family.”
The Spartans play at Sweetwater (3-0) in the teams’ annual Legacy of Pride rivalry game on Sept. 19 while the Lancers play at Grossmont (1-2) in another non-league match-up, also on Sept. 19.
Stat attack
•Hilltop’s Sanchez completed seven of 15 passing attempts for 100 yards with one touchdown and one interception while also rushing 19 times for 123 yards and scored once. He has thrown for 468 yards and four TDs so far.
•Hilltop’s Madarang had three catches for 84 yards. He leads the Lancers with 212 receiving yards on nine catches. He also leads the Lancers with 379 all-purpose yards, including 167 rushing yards, and tops the team with three touchdowns.
•CV’s Cabada has thrown seven TD passes in three games.
Metro Conference Scoreboard
Non-League
Friday, Sept. 12
Chula Vista 36, Hilltop 27
Castle Park 13, Santana 3
Sweetwater 24, Imperial 6
Otay Ranch 16, Mt. Miguel 6
Olympian 21, Morse 12
Mar Vista 42, Harbor (Santa Cruz) 6
Los Alamitos 17, Eastlake 16
Mission Hills 37, Bonita Vista 0
Francis Parker 33, Mater Dei Catholic 13
Orange Glen 20, San Ysidro 7
Southwest El Centro 35, Southwest 0
Clairemont 35, Montgomery 21
Friday, Sept. 19
Chula Vista at Sweetwater, 7 p.m.
Madison at Eastlake, 7 p.m.
Lincoln at Olympian, 7 p.m.
Clairemont at Castle Park, 7 p.m.
Bonita Vista vs. Scripps Ranch at Southwestern College, 7 p.m.
Calexico at Montgomery, 7 p.m.
Gabrielino (San Gabriel) at Mar Vista, 7 p.m.
University City at San Ysidro, 7 p.m.
Mountain Empire at Southwest, 7 p.m.
Otay Ranch at St. Augustine, 7 p.m.
Hilltop at Grossmont, 7 p.m.
Team Records
(Through Sept. 12)
Otay Ranch Mustangs 3-0
Sweetwater Red Devils 3-0
Olympian Eagles 2-0
Castle Park Trojans 2-1
Mar Vista Mariners 2-1
Eastlake Titans 1-2
Chula Vista Spartans 1-2
Hilltop Lancers 1-2
Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders 1-2
Montgomery Aztecs 1-2
San Ysidro Cougars 1-2
Bonita Vista Barons 0-2
Southwest Raiders 0-3
