Despite losing starting quarterback Kai Imahara last week to a season-ending injury, the No. 1 seeded Wilcox Chargers still managed to look as dominant as ever in their CCS playoff opener against Santa Teresa on Friday.
The Chargers pummeled the Saints to the tune of a 36-3 final just one week after Imahara suffered a fractured clavicle in the league-season finale. Wilcox, a run-heavy offense, leaned even harder on their two starting tailbacks, senior Brayden Rosa and sophomore Elijah Vallejo. And the dynamic duo dominated on the ground all night long.
On the Chargers’ first possession of the game, it was Vallejo breaking free on just the third play of the drive for a 58-yard touchdown run. The score erased a 3-0 Saints lead, and the Chargers never looked back from there.
After the Chargers defense forced Santa Teresa to a three and out on the next possession, Vallejo and the offense only needed one play this time to reach the endzone. Nearly an identical run play up the middle, and this time, Vallejo scampered 66 yards to pay dirt. Just like that, in a flash, the Chargers were up 14-3.
“As the season has gone on now that we have played 11 games, he’s no longer a rookie,” chuckled Head Coach Paul Rosa on the impressive performance from his first-year varsity running back. “I know on offense he gets all the numbers, but he has also been really good on defense.”
On defense, the Chargers snuffed out any chance for a Saints comeback on the very next drive. While the Saints managed to move down into the Chargers’ end of the field, the drive stalled on some excellent shut-down defense from Rosa and senior defensive end Dillon Faga.
On third and about three yards, Rosa came up from his safety spot to make an immediate tackle on a short out route for no gain. On the ensuing fourth down, it was Faga sacking the Saints quarterback for a turnover on downs.
Wilcox took over and put the hammer down. Facing a third-and-six situation just across midfield, it was Rosa’s turn for a long touchdown when he took an inside handoff 47 yards to the house. Not even halftime, and the Chargers had put the proverbial nail in the Saints’ coffin at 21-3.
Vallejo would finish the night with an astonishing 187 yards on just 11 carries, with three touchdowns to boot. Rosa added 152 yards on 15 carries and a pair of touchdowns. Wilcox will now take on one of their league rivals in Menlo-Atherton in the semifinal round of the Division II CCS bracket. That will once again be on the Chargers home field on Friday, Nov. 22. Despite beating the Bears just two weeks ago by a 30-21 final, coach Rosa is confident his squad won’t be taking them lightly.
“It was a good game against them the first time, and we’re down our quarterback, so everybody has to step it up a little bit. They are definitely not taking it for granted,” said Rosa.
