Gallery • 13 Photos

J. Dollins

The boys are ready to go to work.

Fontana, CA—On paper, a season opening game for the Yellowjackets against the AB Miller Rebels looked like it might be a repeat of last year’s 55-12 defeat at the hands of Alta Loma High. The Rebels finished their season atop the Mountain Valley League, with an overall record of 7-3. And Colton, who ended last season with a string of tough losses, finished 4-5 and winless in the San Andreas League.

Games, however, are played on the field, and while the Yellowjackets lost this heartbreaker 19-16, they did not play like a team defined by last season’s struggles.

“We proved that we are making a name for ourselves,” captain Colton Suchil said after the game. “We are not someone to mess with this year.”

For the first 59 minutes of this game, it looked like the Yellowjackets were going to put their first W in the books. They dominated most of the game, taking a 16-13 lead deep into the fourth quarter on the strength of a run game featuring sophomore Damian Sanchez.

Sanchez finished the game with 278 all-purpose yards and two rushing touchdowns, including a 41-yard explosion early in the first quarter.

“Just gotta trust my brothers, trust my line,” Sanchez said about his performance, his first start as a varsity player. “All I gotta do is put faith in them.”

That faith paid off as the offensive line kept ripping open gaps for Sanchez to slice through throughout the game.

However, on the other side of the ball, the Rebels had their own player put up some remarkable numbers and highlights. Senior Mario Hayward frustrated the Yellowjackets defense all night with 172 yards, one rushing touchdown, and a 94-yard touchdown pass to his own quarterback, senior Damian Herrera Lopez during the second quarter that put the Rebels up 7-6.

That pass seemed like a fluke, and the Yellowjackets adjusted quickly, forcing a safety on the Rebels’ next possession, then holding them scoreless for the rest of the half.

In the third quarter, Sanchez took over, running for 113 of his total yards and getting a touchdown after a series in which he carried the ball 10 of the 11 plays. The Rebels had no answer for him, and it looked like they had no answer for the Yellowjackets.

In the fourth, as the game wore on, the team visibly tired from playing both sides of the ball, the Yellowjackets started slipping. The Rebels scored early on a 10-yard touchdown run by Hayward, bringing them within three at 16-13.

The Yellowjackets defense held strong until the last minute, when Rebels’ senior Tyrone Freeman pushed through the line for a five yard touchdown to win the game for the Rebels.

Yellowjacket head coach Ray Rodriguez was frustrated with the loss, but proud of his team’s progress. “They grinded their asses off all offseason and they showed it tonight,” he said. “The things we were able to capitalize on on the field was a testament to the hard work they put on during the offseason. There’s a lot of mistakes we can fix moving forward, but there’s a lot of good things we saw tonight.”

Notes:

Colton’s fan base showed out in large numbers at this game, filling up the visitors bleachers at AB Miller. They brought their excitement and support and often overwhelmed the AB Miller home crowd. 

Before halftime, Colton Athletic Director, Jacob Van Hofwegen was informed by the game’s officials that a couple Colton fans were in danger of being ejected from the game for heckling the officials after a blown call in the second quarter cost the Yellowjackets a touchdown.

“CIF is putting an emphasis this year on fan behavior,” Van Hofwegen shared. “That’s one thing they’re really going to come down hard on, and we’re expecting them to be looking to get rid of fans—even kids and coaches—if they’re harsh to the officials. It’s something we have to be mindful of.”

With next week’s grudge match against Grand Terrace set for Friday, this is something to keep in mind.