Watsonville junior quarterback Edwin Cornejo found his way running into the end zone late in the fourth quarter, and the Wildcatz rallied back from a 10-point deficit to beat Pacific Grove, 24-20, in a non-league thriller Friday night.
“Kudos to Pacific Grove,” Watsonville head coach Manny Contreras said in a phone interview. “I’m not going to sit here and say I wasn’t nervous before the game. Absolutely, very nervous. And this team was very, very disciplined.”
Watsonville improved to 2-2 with the win, while Pacific Grove dropped to 3-1 on the season.
In the fourth quarter, Contreras opted to try a potential game-tying field goal with hopes of sending the game into an extra overtime period.
Instead, they caught a break when the Breakers’ special teams unit was penalized for roughing the kicker, allowing the ‘Catz to close out the contest with 14 unanswered points.
“We took the penalty and just kind of ran it down their throats,” Contreras said.
Cornejo finished with 44 rushing yards on six carries, while senior Mathew Silva finished with a team-best 171 rushing yards and one touchdown on 15 carries. Teammate sophomore Noel Navarro had 62 rushing yards on nine carries.
Senior receiver Anthony Landa had a pair of receptions for 60 yards, including a 30-yard TD toss from Cornejo in the first half. Junior kicker Ricky Ramirez added a 42-yard field goal that cut Pacific Grove’s lead down to 20-10 going into halftime.
Contreras mentioned there was no sense of panic from ‘Catz, who shut out Pacific Grove in the second half.
“We knew they were going to keep attacking our edges,” Contreras said. “We made a couple of adjustments on the offensive side, things that we saw. But no one panicked, it was really calm. This was a team win.”
Silva recorded three interceptions on defense, while Landa had three tackles, three tackles for a loss and one forced fumble. Teammate senior Mark Flores had five tackles and one sack, while Luis Marquez added one sack for the ‘Catz, who finished with a total of five sacks.
“Defensively, when we play on all cylinders, we can’t be stopped,” Contreras said. “They really got after it.”
Timmy Ruelas, a sophomore, was called up from the junior varsity just two days ago. He made his starting debut on the offensive line at the guard position Friday.
The young lineman made a name for himself when he replaced an injured teammate on the defensive line, which was a spot he hadn’t practiced in.
“We had a couple of little nagging injuries here and there, and the guys who stepped up on the D-line just stepped up,” Contreras said. “I’m just pumped up for these kids. I’m more pumped for them than ever.”
Contreras said Friday evening was the type of contest that determined who they are as a team. He challenged the players the entire week leading up to the game, and they responded by overcoming some major adversity.
“There’s something about these kids, they’re special,” he said.
Next up, Watsonville (2-2) plays at King City (3-1) in non-league play Oct. 3 at 7pm.
At Carmel 57, Aptos 13: The Mariners dropped to 0-3 in the Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division standings following a loss to the Padres in league play Friday evening. Aptos (1-4, 0-3) hosts Alisal in PCAL Gabilan Division action Oct. 3 at 7:30pm.
Stevenson 36, at Monte Vista Christian 25: Monte Vista Christian junior quarterback Evan Vessey tossed a pair of touchdowns, and the Mustangs fell to the Pirates in non-league action Friday night.
Vessey completed 32-of-45 pass attempts for 414 yards, while Johnny Finney hauled in both touchdown passes from his quarterback. Teammate senior Boston Ashe finished with a team-best 12 receptions for 219 yards, while Maximo Arce had six receptions for 90 yards.
Reece Walker, a sophomore, had a 2-yard TD run and finished with six tackles, three sacks and one forced fumble on defense for MVC. Finney and Kai Bergthold each recorded one interception, while junior Jordan Ramirez recovered one fumble.
Next up, MVC (2-2) hosts Greenfield (0-3, 0-1) in non-league play Oct. 3 at 7:30pm.
At King City 27, St. Francis 6: The Sharks have dropped two consecutive games following a loss to the Mustangs in non-league action Friday night. St. Francis (2-2) hosts Alvarez (3-1) in non-league play Oct. 4 at 12:30pm.
Saturday
Pajaro Valley vs. Santa Cruz, 12:30pm
