Return of Sandoval ignites Colton offense, crush Bruins 48-14
Both offense and defense put together strong performances to put the Yellowjackets in legitimate Skyline League playoff contention
Xavier Sandoval returned to the Yellowjacket lineup to help trounce Bloomington 48-14.
Bloomington, CA—Xavier Sandoval could not have picked a better time to return to the field.
The exciting receiver has been sidelined all season, and was finally unleashed for this crosstown matchup against Bloomington High School. Both teams entered the game tied for second place in Skyline League with a 1-1 record, although Bloomington had a slight advantage with an overall record of 3-4 versus the Yellowjackets 2-5.
Sandoval reconnected with quarterback Gabriel Aparicio and put on a show for Bloomington’s Senior Night, eating up 6 catches for 147 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 2-point conversions.
“It feels so good to be back with my team,” Sandoval said.
The Yellowjackets were happy to have him back, too, as his presence opened up the offense. Aparicio had his best game of the season, passing for 244 yards and 4 touchdowns. And wideout James Gonzales benefitted from the attention Sandoval received from the Bruins’ secondary. He was Aparicio’s favorite target of the night, catching 6 of 10 passes for 67 yards.
The Yellowjackets jumped on the Bruins right from the start, with Sandoval ripping off a 20 yard run that got called back on a penalty, but hinted at where the night was going. Colton scored on its second possession, as running back Damian Sanchez punched his way into the end zone for the first of his two touchdowns.
Nothing in the first quarter, however, could prepare Bloomington for the offensive onslaught Colton would bring in the second. Aparicio connected with Sandoval for three touchdowns, including a 45-yard blast midway through the quarter that put Colton up 20-6. The 28-yard touchdown pass on Colton’s next possession put the game out of reach, as the Yellowjackets went into the half up 28-6.
Aparicio was delighted to have his dynamic receiver back on the field. “It’s better to have [Sandoval] back, honestly,” he said. “It’s just a built up connection since we were 8-years old—the chemistry is always there.”
The Yellowjackets defense came out of the break a bit lethargic, and gave up a score on Bloomington’s first drive of the second half as Bruin running back Jordan Triche broke through for a 15-yard touchdown run.
Aparicio connected with Sandoval on the third play of Colton’s next drive with a 24-yard touchdown pass that gave Colton a 34-14 lead, and this seemed to bring the energy back to the sidelines. On Bloomington’s next possession, safety Cesar Loera intercepted Bruin quarterback Cesar Villegas at the Colton 20 yard line and ran it back for an 80-yard touchdown.
That interception ended any threat Bloomington posed to the Yellowjackets, who got one more score from Sanchez in the fourth quarter to put the team up 48-14.
Now Colton stands at 2-1 in Skyline League with two games left to play against Arroyo Valley and Notre Dame. Playoffs are a real possibility for the team if they can finish in the top two. “Every game now is a playoff game,” Aparicio said. “Starting today.”
Head coach Ray Rodriguez was proud of what he saw from his team tonight in all three phases of the game—offense, defense, and special teams—but he knows his team still has a lot of work to do if they are going to keep playing into the postseason.
“One-and-oh each week,” Rodriguez said, “and so on until the tell us we can’t play anymore.”
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