Escondido Charter gets a thumping

Vincent Memoria QB rolls out against Escondido Charter Friday night at El Centro/Maxpreps photo

 The Escondido Charter High White Tigers football team got its posterior handed to it by the the Vincent Memorial Scots  28-7. The game was played at Southwest High’s Eagle Field in El Centro on Friday night., Sept. 2.

Neither team managed to get on the scoreboard in the first quarter as both teams struggled offensively, each losing possession of the ball after a fumble or interception. After that shaky first half of football, however, the Vincent Memorial squad entered the third quarter executing on all cylinders, rallying to defeat Escondido Charter.

The White Tigers sit at 1-1 with a non-conference home game scheduled for 7 p.m. friday, Sept. 9 against the Coronado high School Islanders. Vincent Memorial boosted its record to 1-1.

A lost fumble and interception by the White Tigers followed by a Scots interception late in the quarter made for a tight-fisted scoreless first period.

When asked about the turnovers, Escondido Charter Head Coach Chris Bonta replied, “It was big loosing one of our key starting linemen and our starting center in the first quarter because we play a lot of two-way guys. When you have second stringers and backups that aren’t accustomed to reps in game speed, that kind of stuff happens.”

At the eight minute mark in the second quarter, after stopping the Scots on fourth down in the red-zone, White Tigers RB #31, Hunter Boyce, darted off for 74 yards scoring his teams’ only touchdown of the night for a short-lived 7-0 lead.

A pass interference call in the red-zone set up an 18-yard hook-up between Scots QB #12, Eduardo Valenzuela, and WR, #15 Juan Ruiz, tying up the game at 7-7 with 4:51 left in the second period.

Midway through the third quarter Scots QB, #12 Valenzuela, chucked a deep one toward the goal-line; teammate #15, WR Ruiz, snatched down the jump-ball at the 1-yard-line. Following the reception, Scots RB, #28 Daniel Rizzo, bolted through for a 1-yard rushing touchdown to take a 7-14 lead.

The aerial assault continued with Scots QB, #15 Valenzuela, dropping another 9-yard touchdown dime to TE, # 87 Mattias Monge, for a commanding 7-21 lead late in the third.

“It was my second start as quarter back and I felt a lot more confidence coming into this game,” said Scots QB #12 Eduardo Valenzuela about his two touchdown passes. “He (Scots TE #87 Mattias Monge) runs good routes, has great hands, and exploits the gaps in the secondary,” added Valenzuela.

Capitalizing on yet another Escondido offensive blunder and recovering a fumble in White Tiger territory with 4 minutes left in the third quarter, the Scot’s put together an aggressive drive exhausting the defense, and capping off the sequence with RB, #6 Javier Briseno, pounding in a short 6-yard touchdown run. The Vincent Memorial Scots now pouring it on 7-28 at the end of the third.

Escondido Charter could not muster a comeback and were blanked in the fourth quarter as well, Scots taming the White Tigers with a final score of 28-7.

“The key to success tonight was our defense; it made the difference in the second quarter and in the second half also. It was important to capitalize and score when we would turn them over, especially when they were deep in their side of the field,” said Vincent Memorial Coach David Wong.