Saturday afternoon provided some beautiful football weather for Pajaro Valley, which was looking for its first 3-0 start in league play for the first time in the school’s history.
As the sun shined over the City of Watsonville, so did the Grizzlies following a 49-0 thumping win against Harbor High in Pacific Coast Athletic League Santa Lucia Division action.
Alexavier Negrete had a team-best 129 yards rushing on 15 carries for Pajaro Valley, which has won three consecutive league games and tied with Stevenson School atop of the league standings.
Senior quarterback Miguel Solano went directly for Negrete from the opening drive. Both worked together throughout the first half with great success.
Negrete was an anchor for the Grizzlies’ offense and would go on to score three touchdowns on the day, all in the first half.
“After last week’s win we worked harder,” Solano said “We already have that playoff mentality.”
Pajaro Valley had plenty of momentum going into Saturday’s game following last week’s dominating 46-10 win over Santa Cruz High, and a 28-19 win against Marina High on Sept. 27.
The Pirates were trying to pull themselves out of a slump after losing two straight league games.
As both teams lined up for the coin toss, it was clear the Grizzlies had a physical size advantage and presented a very united front as a team.
Pajaro Valley received the ball to start the contest and immediately stamped their authority with a touchdown from Negrete in a drive made up of a quick series of runs.
The Pirates did not have an answer for the Grizzlies rushing attack, and Solano’s squad took full advantage.
However, the Grizzlies had to switch up their strategy when Solano injured his ankle sometime between the second and third possession of the game. He could be seen limping and even leaning on teammates to walk for the remainder of the first half.
“I sprained my ankle on the second possession,” Solano said. “But I told my guys I would lead them.”
Lucky for Pajaro Valley its offensive line was incredibly strong against Harbor’s defense, creating plenty of holes for their running backs to run though.
Adrian Mendoza played well on both sides of the ball as running back and a key part of the Grizzlies’ defensive line. He had 63 yards rushing and one TD on four carries.
Brian Flores had 36 yards rushing and one touchdown on five carries, and Brandon Lampon had 36 yards rushing and one touchdown on seven carries for Pajaro Valley.
Senior receiver Izaak Ocampo hauled in three receptions for 85 yards and a pair of TDs off rare passes from Solano.
“There’s an amazing mood in the locker room,” Solano said. “We are all like family here.”
It shows on the field as the Grizzlies guide each other through formations and hold each other accountable on mistakes.
Isaias Villasana had one interception and one forced fumble for the Grizzlies’ defense, which recorded its first shutout this season. Flores recovered one fumble and had one tackle for a loss of yards, and fellow teammate Ricky Rentiria had one interception.
All except for one of the seven kickoffs were squib-style kicks, which seemed to be an effective play for the Grizzlies. They successfully recovered just one of squib kicks, but the style of kicking seemed to throw off the Pirates’ special teams squad.
When the Pirates got the ball, quarterback Andres Martinez took it to the air. He was fast and agile in the pocket but his offensive line was no match for the Grizzlies.
Pajaro Valley discovered how effective the blitz was on Martinez. There were definitely positive glimpses. He scrambled very well in the pocket, avoiding quick pressure and completed some beautiful passes to his teammates Cameron Clark and Maxwell Falconer.
Yet, it was not enough to reach the end zone. Pajaro Valley’s defenders blanketed opposing receivers, picking the ball off twice from Martinez.
Pajaro Valley’s bench was loud and encouraging, while frustration was visible across the field. A member of Harbor’s coaching staff was even warned to calm down at one point.
By halftime, the Grizzlies had run up the score at 42-0 and the referees announced a running clock for the second half.
Solano relinquished his spot to back up Benny Lara, who ran a similar offense that relied on the run with Renteria, Lampon and David Salgado all getting their hands on the rock.
Lara leaned heavily on Renteria and worked well with Lampon, who scored his first touchdown of the afternoon. It seemed to be somewhat of a personal accomplishment as his teammates jumped for joy on his behalf.
Up next, Pajaro Valley (4-3, 3-0) plays at Stevenson School (4-2, 3-0) in PCAL Santa Lucia play Oct. 19 at 2:30pm.
