The bus ride back home for the Watsonville High football team was full of jubilation following a 20-7 victory over North Monterey County High in nonleague play Friday night.
Wildcat first-year head coach Tige McSwain best described the scene with just one word.
“Loud,” he said. “After the last one coming back from Alisal, which was kind of somber, this one they would not shut it down.”
Last night’s drive on southbound Highway 1 was a complete contrast compared to last week’s trek from Salinas.
Watsonville fell to Alisal, 34-10, in nonleague play Sept. 3. McSwain said after the loss they talked about a change in mindset, which he believes they did leading up to Friday evening’s game against NMC.
“We had to realize and believe that we could be resilient,” he said. “We could have explosive plays, we could play with just about anybody if we execute.”
After the Condors jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead, Watsonville senior running back Mark Flores responded with a 60-yard sprint into the end zone. The ‘Catz missed the extra point, yet they were right back in the action with the quick score.
“The defense played very, very well after their first touchdown,” McSwain said. “They couldn’t move the ball too much. They got first downs, but then the defense stiffened. It was that bend, not break kind of situation.”
Junior running back Noel Navarro put Watsonville ahead with a rushing touchdown from 12-yards-out. The successful 2-point conversion attempt by Flores made it a 14-7 score going into halftime.
In the second half, senior kicker Ricardo Ramirez added a pair of field goals from 25- and 37-yards out to cap off the scoring.
McSwain said it wasn’t so much they were in a must-win situation, but it was much-needed from the standpoint to prove to themselves that they could play good football.
“And that we had guys that could be explosive,” he said. “It was a needed win to prove to ourselves that we could play good football with [NMC].”
Next up, Watsonville (1-2) plays at Stevenson (1-1) in nonleague play Sept. 19 at 2pm.
The Pirates play against Scotts Valley (1-1) in nonleague play at Harbor High School on Saturday at 7:30pm.
At Aptos 42, Soledad 6: The Mariners improved to a 1-2 overall record following a crushing win over the Aztecs in nonleague play Friday night.
Next up, Aptos (1-2) plays at King City (2-0) in nonleague play Sept. 18 at 7:30pm.
At Harbor 40, Hill 8: Quarterback Hudson Bare tossed five touchdowns to help lift the Pirates past the Falcons in nonleague play Friday night.
Wide receivers Malik Wooden and Davin Clark each had a pair of TD receptions, while teammate Diego Cashett added one touchdown catch.
The Pirate defense recorded three interceptions, including a pick-six by Eric Villegas.
Teammate linebacker Zephyr Jones had multiple sacks for Harbor (2-0), which hosts Rancho San Juan in nonleague play Sept. 25 at 7:30pm.
At Hollister 27, Wilcox 20: Senior quarterback Eli Lovejoy tossed a pair of touchdowns for the Haybalers en route to a victory over the Chargers in nonleague play Friday night.
Junior wide receiver Ethan Jimenez hauled in a 36-yard TD reception, while senior tight end Cuauhtemoc Villagomez caught a 29-yard touchdown for Hollister, which improved to a 3-0 overall record this fall campaign.
On defense, senior cornerback Nathaniel Baxter had a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Junior wide receiver Damian Aragon had a 19-yard rushing TD to cap of the scoring for Haybalers, winners of three consecutive games to begin the season for the first time since going 5-0 in 2021.
Next up, Hollister (3-0) hosts Alisal (1-2) in the teams’ Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division opener Sept. 17 at 7:30pm.
At Independence 13, Pajaro Valley 6: Adrian Mendoza had a 6-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter but it wasn’t enough as the Grizzlies fell to the 76ers in nonleague play Friday night.
Senior cornerback Andrew Chavez-Lopez recorded one interception in the second quarter for Pajaro Valley, which snapped its seven-game win streak dating back to last season.
Independence got on the scoreboard first when quarterback Gurshan Randhawa connected with Jessiah Amaral for a touchdown reception in the first half. Chase Pagaduan extended the lead at 13-0 midway through the third quarter.
Next up, Pajaro Valley (2-1) plays at Santa Cruz (2-0) in the teams’ PCAL Santa Lucia Division opener Sept. 19 at 6pm.
