(The Aptos High defense smothers Monte Vista Christian senior Daniel Brierley (10) during Aptos’ 35-0 win Friday night. Photo by Carlos Torres/For the Pajaronian)
APTOS — After winning six SCCAL titles and three CCS championships in the past seven years, you’d expect Aptos to come in swinging against a winless Monte Vista Christian team, and in true Aptos form, they did not disappoint Friday night at home.
It was business as usual for the Mariners, as 10 players carried the ball en route to a 35-0 beatdown of a newfound rival in the Monte Vista Christian Mustangs.
“We’ve been preparing for this game forever,” Aptos junior Josh Powell said. “We love playing them (Monte Vista). They’re a fun match; it’s totally awesome coming out here and playing against them.”
While the Aptos football team was laser focused on getting their third win of the season, all eyes were on senior Marcos Reyes, as he entered the game nine yards away from breaking Aptos’ all-time rushing record of 2,082 yards previously held by Mike Allshouse.
While it took Reyes up until the third quarter to break the record, it didn’t matter, as he was focused on two things: winning and the team.
“It’s just another game for me,” Reyes said. “I’m glad we got the win, we had some problems in the beginning but we worked it out. We shut them out, that’s what I was happy about.”
The record-breaking run occurred during the nine-minute mark of the third quarter, when Reyes ran past a few MVC defenders for a 20-yard gain on a jet sweep.
He ended the game with eight carries for 58 yards and two touchdowns, and most importantly, a Mariner win.
An Aptos defender forces the ball out of MVC’s Quinn Alexander’s (1) hands. Photo by Carlos Torres/For the Pajaronian
Aptos was completely dominant from the get-go, beginning the game with a 65-yard sprint from senior quarterback Hunter Matys that got the Mariners to the opposing five-yard line, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
Reyes punched the ball from the one-yard line to put the Mariners up 7-0.
Matys also showed his arm strength as he threw a 20-yard play-action rainbow to Shane Modena that made the score 14-0.
Bubba Gallardo added to the team effort with a five-yard touchdown run that put Aptos up 21-0 entering halftime.
Reyes was not done yet as he split through the Monte Vista Christian defense on a nine-yard touchdown run that put the Mariners up 28-0, which sealed Aptos’ win, as well as his place in the record books.
Last but not least, Powell punched the football in with a nine-yard touchdown run that gave the Marines a very comfortable 35-0 lead.
When asked about any goals he might have for himself the rest of the season, Reyes gave a true to form response: “Win league, that’s our biggest goal right now. Beat the big teams out there, stay healthy, help coach the young kids, and all of that.”
The Aptos defense also had a great showing, with two interceptions and three sacks. The interceptions came from Fisher Johnson and Bubba Gallardo, while the sacks included Dre Gomez, Anthony Cardenas-Ramos, Ramon Alvarez-Melendez and Shane Modena.
Asked about their remaining tough slate against the cream of the crop teams in the MBL-Gabilan division, Powell said, “We’re gonna be preparing, we’re pumped for it, we can’t wait for the competition.”
The real question is, will the competition be ready for Aptos?
Aptos (3-0) will have a bye week and will begin league play on Sept. 21, when they host the Hollister Haybalers (1-2).
Monte Vista (0-3) will also have a bye week before traveling down the Salinas Valley to try to get the first win of the Jubenal Rodriguez era against the Soledad Aztecs (0-3) on Sept. 21.
