Defense struggles as Colton drops league game against Rialto, 27-16
Colton plays from behind after a dismal first three quarters puts them in a hole out of which they can’t dig
Adam Torres and the Yellowjackets defense could not find answers against the Rialto Knights on Oct. 7.
Rialto, CA—The Yellowjackets traveled to Rialto High School last night as the Knights celebrated their Homecoming with a night filled with “Wizard of Oz” themed events. Like Dorothy, they found themselves strangers in a strange land. Unlike her, they were unsuccessful in returning home triumphant, losing to the Knights 27-16.
As with several games this season, this one was a tale of two halves. In the first, the Yellowjackets were held scoreless, combining for a total of 82 yards. Quarterback Gabriel Aparicio went 2-for-14 for 9 yards passing, struggling to find open receivers as Rialto’s huge front line kept pressuring him in the pocket. And his running backs didn’t provide much either. Damian Sanchez ran for 16 yards, and Nathaniel Martinez ran for 14.
Meanwhile, the Yellowjacket defense, which looked like it picked up where it left off against Fontana in the first quarter, fell apart in the second. They gave up two touchdowns to the Knights’ tandem of backs, Antoine Fowler and Anthony Buckley, who both found the end zone, sending Colton into the half down 14-0.
Then, after Fowler exploded for a 64-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter, putting Colton behind 21-0, the Yellowjackets finally woke up. They scored on the first possession of the fourth, Aparicio connecting with James Gonzales, first on a 30-yard bomb, then on a 5-yard touchdown reception.
Late in the fourth, Aparicio found Damien Sanchez on a deep 51-yard touchdown reception, who followed with a two-point conversion.
However, the defense could not hold. They had Rialto in a 4th-and-long situation at the 7 minute mark of the fourth quarter. Rialto fumbled the punt snap, but the punter managed to recover the ball and run it down to the Colton 24-yard line for a gain of 25 yards. A 10-yard penalty put Rialto back on the Colton 34, setting up Fowler for a 34-yard touchdown run, his third of the game.
Aparicio finished the game 10-for-31 with 185 yards passing and a touchdown. Sanchez had 93 total yards and a touchdown. And James Gonzales added 88 yards receiving and a touchdown.
With this loss, the Yellowjackets fall to 1-1 in the Skyline League (2-5 overall). Next week, they travel to Bloomington High School to play the 1-1 (3-4 overall) Bruins.
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