Given the lopsided score, some involved in the game went as far as saying the matchup doesn’t deserve to be called a rivalry.
Nonetheless, the varsity contest remained close into the second quarter. The Bruins capitalized on a special teams fumble by the Chargers to tie the game on a Christopher Brown quarterback keeper for a touchdown in the first quarter. After the Chargers regained a 14-7 lead, the second quarter began just a couple plays after a nice reverse on the kickoff return executed by Erik Ketton and Bailey Mungaray. That set the Bruins’ offense up at midfield.
“We did get that key first touchdown early,” noted Bruins Head Coach Hank Roberts. “It’s just like normal, a little adversity at the beginning and then we pull through it for a bit, but then we have issues later on. Same old, same old.”
After the game, a number of Chargers and Bruins players did mix together for a group photo. According to Roberts, it was a group of players who had all played Pop Warner together for the Santa Clara Lions.
“It was a lot of fun,” commented Chargers tailback Paul M. Rosa. “I have a lot of friends that I used to play with a long time ago on the other side.
“It’s always fun, they were taking pictures afterward together,” added Wilcox Head Coach Paul Rosa. “They have played together since they were small. To me that’s the best part of the game.”
In the second quarter, the younger Rosa took a pitch from quarterback David Hernandez for a long 75-yard touchdown scamper.
“I had two good blocks by Jacob Dominguez and Gabe Herrera,” recalled Rosa. “They made a hole for me, I just hit it and ran as fast as I could.”
As usual for Wilcox, it was Hernandez who had a big rushing day from his quarterback spot. The senior accounted for each of the Chargers’ first three touchdowns with his legs. He also had a long 80-yard touchdown called back for apparently taunting the last defender chasing him.
On the Bruins side of things, their second touchdown was scored on a nice toe-tapping catch just inside the sideline by Richard Corona.
“Basically, the play was Reno-left called ‘Smash’ where basically the inside guy takes out the safety and I run a corner to the back of the end zone,” described Corona on his touchdown catch. “It was designed for me basically. They just put it up to me on fourth down and told me to make a play and I did. I had to do it for a lot of my teammates as this game means a lot to them.”
Corona’s touchdown grab brought the score to 35-13, but unfortunately for Bruins fans, any chance at a comeback was snuffed out on the following play from scrimmage. Hernandez took the next play 62-yards to the house to put the game away for the Chargers.
Next week Wilcox will finish out their schedule and prepare for CCS with their league finale against Palo Alto. The Bruins will play for a share of their league championship as they take on Cupertino.