SANTA CLARA — All it took was one play for No. 11 Wilcox to ascertain dominance.
The Chargers had gained their final three video games by a mixed whole of 85 factors. Issues had been going nicely for Wilcox.
They couldn’t have began out any higher on Friday evening in opposition to Sacred Coronary heart Prep. Opening their first drive on the 30-yard line, the Chargers snapped the ball to quarterback Kai Imahara, who faked an possibility handoff and bolted across the left facet.
Seventy yards of swift operating later, Wilcox had a 7-0 lead. Imahara’s lengthy dash set the tone for the remainder of the matchup, which the Chargers gained 35-7.
Wilcox’s Kai Imahara (11) runs for a 70-yard landing in opposition to the Sacred Coronary heart Prep Gators within the 1st half at Wilcox Excessive Faculty in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (Thien-An Truong for Bay Space Information Group)
“It is nice when you score on the first play,” stated Wilcox coach Paul Rosa. “It gets your guys going. Our quarterback made a good read and popped one.”
Sacred Coronary heart Prep (3-5, 0-3 PAL Bay) had a response within the early going. The Gators mounted a 13-play drive, advancing all the way in which to the Wilcox 1-yard line. However on fourth-and-goal, Greg Gamitian was stuffed on the aim line by the Chargers’ protection.
SHP wouldn’t rating till there was 3:19 remaining within the recreation.
“Tough day,” stated Gators coach Mark Grieb. “We couldn’t really answer. Then we get all the way down to the one and can’t get in. So that was frustrating.”
Sacred Coronary heart Prep’s Greg Gamitian (9) runs for yardage towards the tip zone in opposition to the Wilcox Chargers within the 1st half at Wilcox Excessive Faculty in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (Thien-An Truong for Bay Space Information Group)
Wilcox was charged up by the momentum-flipping cease. However although its offense acquired out of the shadow of its personal aim line with a 20-play drive, the Chargers finally turned the ball over on downs in plus territory.
But a fast three-and-out gave Wilcox the ball again, and this time, the Chargers took benefit. 5 consecutive speeding makes an attempt later, Wilcox was again in the long run zone due to a 2-yard TD run by Brayden Rosa.
“That was huge,” coach Rosa stated of the fourth-down cease. “Especially being fourth and less than a yard, that’s tough to stop. It was funny, though, because we had worked on that over and over in practice this week, because we weren’t very good at it. So it came up. I’m like, ‘I hope it pays off,’ and it did.”
Wilcox primarily sealed the sport with another rating earlier than the half. One other clock-churning drive, this one simply 10 performs lengthy, ended with Jeiman Delos Santos’ 3-yard speeding rating.
Wilcox’s Alessandro Martinez (22) celebrates after sacking Sacred Coronary heart Prep’s Nico Pollioni (4) within the 2nd half at Wilcox Excessive Faculty in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (Thien-An Truong for Bay Space Information Group)
With the way in which the Chargers chew up the clock, 21 factors was primarily insurmountable.
“It keeps our defense off the field for most of the game, especially if we’re rolling,” coach Rosa stated. “It’s tough on other teams, because you’ve got to get your nose in there every single play, and sometimes kids don’t want to do that all day.”
“They’re good at what they do,” Grieb stated. “It’s always hard to adjust to the speed of how they run the option. And obviously, we weren’t ready for it.”
Wilcox didn’t go away something to likelihood within the third quarter. After Elijah Vallejo snagged an interception to set the Chargers up on the minus-40, Brayden Rosa eluded a number of would-be tacklers close to the road of scrimmage earlier than choosing up pace and scampering 60 yards to the tip zone on the second play of the drive.
On the subsequent SHP drive, Vallejo was again across the ball, snatching one other decide on the primary play of the Gators’ preliminary collection. Imahara then accomplished back-to-back passes to Justin Forster, the second going for a 16-yard landing.
Wilcox’s Brayden Rosa (2) celebrates after scoring a 60-yard landing in opposition to the Sacred Coronary heart Prep Gators within the 2nd half at Wilcox Excessive Faculty in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (Thien-An Truong for Bay Space Information Group)
That rating, which got here with 5:41 left within the third quarter, ensured that the fourth quarter can be a fast one in Santa Clara.
“You’ve got to credit them,” Grieb stated. “They’re well coached and disciplined, and they play really hard. Their scheme is tough to defend. Obviously, we’re not the only ones that have a hard time with it.”
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Subsequent up for Wilcox is a date with Los Gatos. The 2 powers within the PAL Bay have been on a collision course — each groups are 3-0 in league play and have been dominating Bay Division opponents left and proper. The No. 6 Wildcats shut out Menlo Faculty 38-0 on Friday evening.
“It’s a big matchup,” coach Rosa stated. “They’re actually good. We’re getting higher each week. I feel we should always be capable to grasp in there, and it must be an excellent recreation.
“For the past, probably, I don’t know, eight years, the title was won by either us or them. They’ve won the last few, so that’d be nice to get them once.”
Wilcox head coach Paul Rosa appears to be like on in opposition to the Sacred Coronary heart Prep Gators within the 2nd half at Wilcox Excessive Faculty in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (Thien-An Truong for Bay Space Information Group)
Wilcox’s Elijah Vallejo (14) celebrates after intercepting a move meant for Sacred Coronary heart Prep within the 2nd half at Wilcox Excessive Faculty in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (Thien-An Truong for Bay Space Information Group)
