WATSONVILLE — Monte Vista Christian punched an early ticket to the Central Coast Section playoffs with a statement win last week against Alisal High in Pacific Coast Athletic League Mission play.
But two big questions remain: who will the Mustangs play and how high will they be seeded?
That riddle will take some time to solve. But for now, M.V.C. sits at 4-0 in the league standings and owns a 6-1 overall record after a 36-14 win against the Trojans.
The Mustangs also extend a five-game winning streak, which is the second longest in the league behind Seaside High (8-0, 4-0). They jumped to No. 380 in the state rankings on the MaxPreps website.
M.V.C. senior running back Quinn Alexander said last week’s victory against the Trojans was definitely a statement win for them to stay atop of the league standings.
“We’re trying to go all the way and we’re trying to win a championship,” Alexander said. “This is just another game.”
The Mustangs are dialed into winning their second league title in the program’s history. In 2011, they were co-champs with Christopher High and Monterey High in the now defunct Monterey Bay League.
“I think we’re just motivated,” Alexander said. “I think it’s more of wanting to play for the guy next to you and wanting to come out and win every play.”
Alexander and junior Brendan Doyle each finished with two touchdowns in last week’s win.
Alexander scored on the Mustangs’ opening drive. Senior quarterback Nathan Renggli connected with senior Andrew Montoya on a 45-yard strike to set them up at the Trojans’ 4-yard line.
The offense dialed up a trick play that started with a pass from Renggli to Doyle, who then found Montoya for a 60-yard bomb for a touchdown that gave M.V.C. a 29-7 lead going into the break.
Doyle, who transferred from Gilroy High, played in just his third game with M.V.C. but he said he’s loved playing in the system, thus far.
“They’ve become my team, my new brothers and we’ve been on a roll since January,” Doyle said. “We’ve been waiting for these moments.”
M.V.C. also put together a 15-play drive that ended in a 32-yard field goal attempt. But Austin Klinkski barely missed the kick.
“You’re not going to have a perfect game every time,” Alexander said. “We knew (the Trojans) were going to break plays… they’re a triple-option offense and they’re going to wear you down.”
The missed field goal attempt was just a small setback in what was otherwise the strongest performance this season for the Mustangs. It also sums up the type of season they’ve had.
The Mustangs had their first game of the season — which was Senior Night — canceled due to stadium light issues.
Next, they played four straight games on the road after their home league game on Sept. 27 against Soledad High was swapped to a road game.
Still, they managed to win all four games, including three of them in PCAL-Mission play — Soledad, Monterey High and Scotts Valley High.
The win against Alisal kept their record in league play unblemished and quest for a league title very well alive.
Last year, M.V.C. bounced back late and won its final four PCAL Mission division games of the season.
The Mustangs were the runners-up behind league champion Carmel High but still earned a trip to the CCS Division V playoffs.
M.V.C. was eliminated in the opening round in a loss against Monterey. The Mustangs got some redemption this year in a thrilling 36-35 win against the Toreadors.
“We’re just going in hard every week and every week we know we need to get better to improve in this league,” Doyle said. “All we need to do to get better is just to keep working hard every day at practice.”
M.V.C. coach Jubenal Rodriguez returned for his second year with the program. He’s now led the Mustangs to back-to-back appearances into the postseason after they missed the playoffs two years ago, which was the first time since 2013.
“I’m glad we got the win and I’m glad we solidified a playoff spot this early and we’re excited about going into our bye week,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a good feeling.”
The playoffs are in the bag, however, Rodriguez said the goal is still to win a PCAL-Mission championship.
Rodriguez said he’ll use the bye week as an opportunity to get better at things such as protecting the football.
The Mustangs begin their final stretch of the season against North Salinas High (0-7, 0-3) on Nov. 1, followed by a home game against Seaside at Watsonville High on Nov. 8.
The league season finale between M.V.C. and Seaside, which is ranked No. 326 in the state on MaxPreps, could be the deciding matchup for this year’s league title.
“We’re just hungry,” Alexander said. “It’s our time and we want it all.”
•••
Editor’s Note:This article will be published in the Oct. 25 edition of The Pajaronian.
