EL CENTRO — Central Union High’s football team scored 28 points in the second quarter to pull away and beat Calexico 35-0 in an Imperial Valley League matchup at Cal Jones Field on the Central campus in El Centro on Friday, Oct. 18.
The big second quarter was keyed by three touchdown passes by the Spartans’ junior quarterback Luis Jimenez, and a blocked punt for a touchdown courtesy of the Central special teams.
The victory puts Central at 7-2 overall and 2-1 in the IVL as the Spartans now have a week off before the annual Bell Game kicks off on Nov. 1. Calexico falls to 4-4 overall and 0-3 in the IVL but hosts winless Southwest High at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, at Ward Field on the Calexico High campus.
A key battle in the IVL takes place at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, at Shimamoto-Simpson Stadium in Imperial when the Tigers host Brawley Union High. Both the Tigers and Wildcats sit at 2-0 in the IVL with the winner of next week’s game having the inside advantage at an IVL title.
On Friday, Central looked dominant in the first half, including the first quarter when the Spartans took the opening possession and marched 65 yards in 12 plays with senior running back Nico Viesca finishing the drive with a one-yard touchdown run out of the “Wildcat” formation with him serving as quarterback.
Malachi Rodriguez nailed the first of his five extra-points on the night and the Spartans were up 7-0 with 6:36 left in the first quarter.
Central uses Viesca in the “Wildcat” as they get closer to the end zone to get more blockers on the field.
“When I’m in the ‘Wildcat,’ I’m reading how the defense flows and trying to be patient and waiting for a crease,” said the 17-year-old Viesca. “A lot of that offense depends on down and distance and as we get closer to the end zone it seems to work better.”
Central’s offense got going on its first possession of the second quarter with a 62-yard, four-play drive that ended when Jimenez found senior receiver Miguel Vega in the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown pass with 9:44 left in the second quarter. The extra point put the Spartans up 14-0.
On the ensuing possession, Calexico’s offense stalled and as the Bulldogs were punting, Central senior Isaac Galvan burst through the line and blocked the kick, sending the ball bouncing into the Bulldogs’ end zone.
Spartans’ sophomore Angel Vasquez was in the right spot to sprint after the ball and jump on it in the end zone for a touchdown. The Rodriguez extra point kick was good and the Spartans were up 21-0 with 4:08 left in the half.
Calexico’s offense went three-and-out on its next possession, giving the ball back to the Spartans at the Central 49-yard line. Four plays later, with two of the plays being penalties, the Spartans got a 36-yard touchdown pass from Jimenez to Joshua Garcia to increase the lead to 28-0 with 2:11 left until halftime.
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The Bulldogs then took the kickoff and marched 62 yards in six plays to the Central 17-yard line when junior quarterback Israel Ruiz was intercepted at the goal line by Spartans’ junior Emiliano Morales who returned it to the 39-yard line with 28 seconds left in the quarter.
Three plays later Jimenez hit Garcia on a screen pass that went for 46 yards and a touchdown with just two seconds left before halftime, putting the Spartans up 35-0.
“We were able to move the ball, we just weren’t able to finish drives,” said Fernando Solano, Calexico’s fifth-year head coach. “We don’t have the kind of offense that can fall behind early and come back. We need to play mistake-free to have a chance to win those games.”
Neither team was able to score in the second half, leaving the final at 35-0. The Bulldogs’ Andre Lopez finished with a game-high 144 yards rushing on 18 carries.
“He (Lopez) has a lot of potential. He’s naturally talented,” Solano said about his junior fullback. “He plays physical and runs downhill and will finish the run by carrying a couple guys with him.”
Central’s Garcia was the leading receiver on the night with two catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns. Jimenez completed 8-of-13 passes for 135 yards and three touchdowns.
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