Colton, CA—It was deja vu on Friday night as the Yellowjackets played host to the AB Miller Rebels in the season opener of the 2023 football season. Last year they also squared off against the Rebels to kick off the season, losing in the final seconds by three, 19-16.
Different year, same result. The Yellowjackets lost 21-18.
Colton firmly beat themselves in this game, especially on the offensive end as the team’s group of receivers struggled to catch the ball. This game marked the debut of quarterback Koa Regalado, and the freshman did not disappoint. The QB finished the game with two touchdowns on 194 yards passing.
Regalado stood confident in the pocket all game behind a tough offensive line, showing off excellent footwork and a remarkable arm. Despite that, it’s going to take work to build chemistry between him and his receivers.
Costly turnovers and struggles on offense gave the game away to the Rebels. The Yellowjackets led most of the way, scoring the first two touchdowns to go up 12-0. But a huge Yellowjacket turnover on a punt attempt at their own goal line near the end of the first half gave the Rebels some life.
In the second half, the teams went back-and-forth. However, the Yellowjackets were unable to capitalize on their three extra point attempts, then another huge fumble at their own 14-yard line in the third quarter gave the Rebels a scoring opportunity of which they took full advantage.
There were moments throughout the game when the packed Alumni Night crowd got a glimpse of what this season may hold in store. On Colton’s first drive of the game, Regalado found junior Cesar Loera twice, for both a 20-yard shot and a 14-yard touchdown pass. Another exciting moment came when Regalado hit up senior Alex Juarez on a 50-yard bomb. It was clear that once this crew finds their rhythm, Colton’s passing game is going to be tough to stop.
When the pass was effective, it opened up the run game for Damien Sanchez. The junior back, who had a breakout year as a sophomore, picked up where he left off, rushing for 124 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the Yellowjackets struggled to stop the Rebel run attack, especially their quarterback, junior Ilya Ridge. The QB pushed through the line with regularity, including rushing for a 65-yard touchdown early in the third quarter that put the Rebels up 14-12.
Still, the defense showed promise behind the strong play of Adam Montes and Ryan Villalpando, shutting down the Rebels in both the first and third quarters. They forced a missed field goal in the first, and blocked a punt as well. And late in the fourth, the defense had a huge stop with two minutes left that gave the Yellowjackets a chance to comeback for the win.
While the Rebels didn’t need a game-winning touchdown drive in the last minute to seal this year’s victory, the match-up proved to have a similar feel to go along with the same result.
With this loss, the Yellowjackets start the season 0-1, and now look forward to the always tough rivalry game against Grand Terrace High School on Friday. Game time is 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.
Skyline League Notes
San Gorgonio (1-0) defeated Canyon Springs (0-1), 24-9. San Gorgonio QB Payton Clark passed for 187 yards and two touchdowns.
Arroyo Valley (0-1) loses to Arrowhead Christian (1-0), 18-6.
Fontana (0-1) loses to San Bernardino (1-0), 38-14. Fontana sophomore Akari Augustine showed up on defense, totaling six tackles and an interception that led to a touchdown.
Notre Dame (0-1) loses to Moreno Valley (1-0), 49-9. Notre Dame freshman QB Mark Cadena threw for 98 yards and a touchdown in the loss to the Vikings. His favorite target was senior M. Rodriguez, who tallied up 71 total yards and a touchdown, including a 64-yard catch.
Bloomington (0-0) did not play this week. They will play at home against Littlerock High School this Friday.
