The Hilltop High School football team accomplished a first by winning this year’s Chula Vista Kiwanis Bowl Friday night at Robert Dodds Stadium. The Lancers’ 38-16 Metro-South Bay League win over the west side rival Chula Vista Spartans marked the first time Hilltop had claimed back-to-back wins in the series, now in its 15th season.
“It was a great game,” Lancer head coach Drew Westling explained. “The guys fought hard. It was the first time ever that Hilltop won back-to-back Kiwanis Bowl games.”
The hosts burst out to a 16-0 lead and, after the visitors scored to halve the score, the Lancers regained momentum in the game by building a 23-8 halftime lead.
Chula Vista would challenge during the third quarter when the Spartans trimmed Hilltop’s lead to 23-18. But the Lancers would score two unanswered touchdowns to waltz to the win.
The final score was deceiving in that the Spartans had several promising drives end due to untimely and costly penalties.
Gus Ferreira earned offensive MVP honors for Hilltop with two touchdown catches while David Corona was named the Lancers’ defensive MVP.
Sergio Figueroa received offensive MVP honors for Chula Vista while Victor Agraz was named defensive MVP.
The game opened on a trick play as Hilltop quarterback Alex Tejeda handed off to running back Domonic Esparza, who then tossed the ball back to Tejeda on the flea-ficker. The Lancer quarterback then passed to Ferreira for a 55-yard touchdown.
Esparza was successful on the ensuing two-point conversion and the hosts led 8-0 in front of an enthusiastic crowed on Senior Night
Chula Vista had a chance to counter but a dropped pass in the end zone thwarted their best effort.
Hilltop then marched downfield and scored on a 15-yard scoring pass from Tejeda to Ferreira. Cristian Llanes was successful on the two-point conversion and the Lancers were up 16-0.
The Spartans promptly marched down to the Hilltop 16-yard line before a series of penalties landed the ball alternately at the 21-yard line, then at the 26-yard line, before a pass interference call on the hosts placed the ball at the 13-yard line. A pair of runs then placed the ball at the three-yard line from which point Figueroa stepped into the end zone on the next play.
The successful two-point conversion brought the score to 16-8, still in the Lancers’ favor.
Hilltop pulled off a trick fourth-down play to start the second quarter but CV’s Timothy Wilkins ended the drive with an interception.
Eddie Barajas quickly moved the ball to midfield but an unsportsmanlike call moved the ball back to the 36-yard line. The Spartans ended the possession with a punt.
Hilltop’s Angel Pineda then ripped off a 30-yard run to move the ball down to the Spartan 35-yard line. Esparza advanced the ball to the 12-yard line, Ferreira then carried to the six-yard line and Pineda down to the four-yard line.
Ferreira was stopped at the one-yard line and Pineda then carried the ball into the end zone for Hilltop’s third touchdown of the game. Max Ugarte booted the extra-point conversion and the hosts went up 15 points at the half.
Daniel McPherren, who dropped a potential touchdown pass in the first quarter, got Chula Vista back in the game on a sizzling 56-yard catch and carry with 9:38 left in the third quarter. The two-point conversion made the score 23-16.
But the hosts would not be denied.
Esparza broke several tackles in rushing for a 33-yard touchdown to up the Lancers’ lead to 31-16.
The Spartans responded with another promising drive that ultimately ended with an interception in the end zone by Hilltop’s Corona.
The Lancers engineered a drive of their own, this one extended on a fourth-down play near the goal line, that ended with a one-yard touchdown run by Pineda with 43 seconds to play in the game.
Pineda scored two rushing touchdowns in the game.
Both teams now sport 1-1 league and 5-4 overall records.
Mar Vista ran past visiting Sweetwater on Friday by a score of 42-6 to up its Metro-South Bay League record to 2-0, 7-2 overall. Khalil Spruill scored touchdowns the first three times he touched the ball in the game for the victorious Mariners resulting in TD runs of 52, 65 and 39 yards. He rushed for 275 yards on 11 carries in the game.
Mar Vista will close the season next Friday at Chula Vista with a chance to wrap up sole possession of this year’s league title. However, a Spartan win over Mar Vista in the regular season finale, coupled with a Hilltop win at Sweetwater, would create a three-way tie for the league banner between Mar Vista, Hilltop and Chula Vista.
Sweetwater dropped to 0-2 in league, 2-7 overall.
Hilltop, as the winning team, received a $1,000 check from the Chula Vista Kiwanis Club while Chula Vista, as the runner-up team, received a check for $500.
By the numbers
Tejeda passed for 217 yards by completing 21 of 24 attempts while Pineda rushed for 110 yards on 12 carries. Ferreira amassed 156 receiving yards on 15 catches while Esparza rushed for 66 yards on 10 carries and caught two passes for 48 yards.
On the season, Tejeda has passed for 2,031 yards with 18 touchdowns and three interceptions. Esparza has rushed for 481 yards and seven touchdowns while Ferreira has collected 975 yards on 87 catches with a team-leading 10 touchdowns.
The Mariners rushed for 418 yards in the victory. Pushing Spruill were teammates Noah Berry (seven carries, 75 yards) and Kyle Denney (five carries, 73 yards), both with touchdown runs.
Quarterback Mike Wilson completed his only pass of the game for 40 yards to Berry.
Jacob Hinojosa led Mar Vista defensively with 13 tackles, followed by teammates Mat Estrada with 11 tackles and Niko Figueroa with 10 tackles.
The hosts registered five sacks against Sweetwater – one each by Hinojosa, Spruill, Estrada, Figueroa and Latu Tuavao.
Spruill has rushed for 1,424 yards in seven games and has scored 20 touchdowns – 19 rushing and one receiving.
Denney has rushed for 508 yards and four touchdowns in nine games while Berry has rushed for 372 yards and eight touchdowns in eight games. Berry also has amassed 265 receiving yards and three TDs for a total of 12 touchdowns (eight rushing, three receiving and one kick-off return).
Hinojosa leads the team with 84 tackles in eight games.
The Red Devils rushed for 317 yards. Marty Sesma led the visitors with 177 yards on 35 carries while Abdi Nur carried the ball 19 times for 99 yards. SuHi quarterback Manny Salazar completed two of seven passing attempts for 13 yards with one touchdown – an 11-yard pass to Rugene Williams.
Abel Garcia led Sweetwater defensively with six tackles while Carlos Alvarez made one interception.
Sesma has rushed for 1,583 yards and eight touchdowns in nine games to lead the Devils, followed by Alfredo Ulloa with 695 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Ulloa leads Sweetwater with 313 receiving yards and five TDs for a team leading nine touchdowns.
Adrian Kercher leads SuHi with 45 tackles while Sebastian Zuniga tops the team with five sacks.
In other games on Friday:
- Mater Dei Catholic improved to 3-0 in Metro-Mesa League play, 8-1 overall, after dealing visiting Eastlake a 49-7 setback. Crusader quarterback Chris Jones threw four touchdown passes while C.J. Verdell rushed for two scores. Eastlake’s Micah Pietila-Wiggs scored on a 98-yard kick-off return in the game.
- Bonita Vista captured its first Metro-Mesa League game by handing host Otay Ranch a 26-10 defeat. Dean Klaser scored on a 48-yard touchdown run and teammate Keenan Ellis had two TDs. Baron quarterback Anthony Posada passed for 300 yards and three TDs.
- Castle Park’s bid for a game-winning two-point conversion failed, giving host San Ysidro a 21-20 win in a match-up of Metro-Pacific League unbeatens.
- Anthony Parra scored on a 50-yard quarterback keeper to lift visiting Montgomery over Southwest, 31-28, in another Metrlo-Pacific League encounter.
Extra points
•Rancho Bernardo and Poway, both with 9-0 records, will collide next Friday in the regular season finale.
- Cathedral Catholic (9-0) defeated arch rival St. Augustine, 35-0, in this year’s Holy Bowl game.
Metro Conference Scoreboard
Metro-Mesa League
Mater Dei Catholic 3-0, 8-1
Olympian Eagles 3-0, 6-3
Bonita Vista 1-2, 2-7
Otay Ranch 1-3, 3-7
Eastlake 0-3, 2-7
Friday, Oct. 28
Mater Dei Catholic 49, Eastlake 7
Bonita Vista 26, Otay Ranch 10
Friday, Nov. 4
Olympian at Mater Dei Catholic, 7 p.m.
Bonita Vista at Eastlake, 7 p.m.
Metro-South Bay League
Mar Vista Mariners 2-0, 7-2
Hilltop Lancers 1-1, 5-4
Chula Vista Spartans 1-1, 5-4
Sweetwater Red Devils 0-2, 2-7
Friday, Oct. 28
Hilltop 38, Chula Vista 16
Mar Vista 42, Sweetwater 6
Friday, Nov. 4
Mar Vista at Chula Vista, 7 p.m.
Hilltop at Sweetwater, 7 p.m.
Metro-Pacific League
San Ysidro Cougars 2-0, 4-5
Montgomery Aztecs 1-1, 2-7
Castle Park Trojans 1-1, 1-8
Southwest Raiders 0-2, 2-7
Friday, Oct. 28
San Ysidro 21, Castle Park 20
Montgomery 31, Southwest 28
Friday, Nov. 4
Montgomery at Castle Park, 7 p.m.
Southwest at San Ysidro, 7 p.m.
