CALEXICO — Junior running back Andre Lopez had his third straight 100-plus-yard rushing game and helped the Calexico High football team win the annual Battle for the Border rivalry game, 14-0, over Vincent Memorial Catholic High at Ward Field in Calexico on Friday, Nov. 1.
Lopez, who finished the game with 115 yards rushing and two touchdowns, ran for 144 yards against Central Union two weeks ago and had 154 yards rushing and three touchdowns against Southwest a week ago. That’s 413 yards rushing and five touchdowns for the junior in the last three weeks.
“The problem had been his health and now he’s finally healthy,” said Fernando Solano, the Bulldogs’ fifth-year head coach. “He missed all of last season with shoulder problems, but he is good now and he’s showing he’s a weapon.”
Lopez played his freshman season across town with Vincent Memorial, transferred to Calexico and missed his sophomore year with the shoulder injury. This season he has become a backfield force along with sophomore fullback Jose Fernandez.
The two combined for 161 yards rushing against the Scots on Friday as the Bulldogs (6-4 overall, 1-3 in the Imperial Valley League) relied on their defense and running attack to get back the Victor Carrillo Battle for the Border Trophy that Vincent Memorial (6-4 overall, 1-2 in the Desert League) took a year ago with a 14-7 win.
“Everyone played well tonight to help us get the win,” Lopez said. “The defense was great and the blocking for us was doing the job. It was a total team win.”
Having started his playing career at Vincent Memorial, Lopez said there was some good-natured talking going on between him and some of the Scots.
“I played with those guys and know them so there was some talking,” Lopez said. “They call me ‘Vincent’ here at Calexico, so it’s all good.”
After a scoreless first quarter, the Bulldogs got on the scoreboard with their first possession of the second period with a seven-play, 69-yard drive that featured Lopez and Fernandez on all but one play. Lopez finished the drive with a four-yard touchdown run. Senior kicker Dominik Diaz booted the extra point to put the Bulldogs up 7-0 with 8:06 left in the first half.
There was only one pass completed in the entire game, and it was a tipped pass that Calexico quarterback Israel Ruiz luckily got to senior tight end Diego Baez in the second half.
“That’s something we have to get better at if we want any success in the playoffs,” Solano said. “If we can complete a few passes it will keep defenses honest and we’ll be able to run the ball.”
The score remained 7-0 into the fourth quarter when disaster struck for Vincent Memorial on a first-down play from its own 16-yard line. A botched snap put the ball on the ground where Calexico senior Arath Silva pounced on it for the recovery at the 7:07 mark of the final period.
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Three Lopez runs later and he was scoring from seven yards out and 5:37 left on the clock. Diaz again made the extra point and Calexico had the 14-0 final advantage.
The Bulldogs’ defense allowed just one first down to the Scots and held them to 28 total yards of offense. Vincent Memorial was playing without several key players, including junior quarterback Patricio Carranza, senior Lucio Ascolani and the Scots lost starting running back Victor DeLeon at the end of the first quarter due to injury.
Both teams have made the CIF-San Diego Section Division IV playoffs and both will be in action on the road on Friday, Nov. 8.
Vincent Memorial is the No. 12 seed in the division and will be on the road to face fifth-seeded Westview of San Diego with kickoff set for 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8. The winner of the game will travel to face Mission Bay, the fourth-seed in the division, at 7 p.m. Nov. 15.
Calexico is the No. 9 seed in Division IV and travels to take on eighth-seeded Montgomery of San Diego with kickoff set for 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8. The winner of the game will travel to face top-seeded Ramona at 7 p.m. on Nov. 15.
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