Colton, CA—Following their canceled rivalry game, Colton showcased just how much they missed being on the field as they earned their second victory of the season, beating Rim of the World 28-21.

Although the team seemingly did it with ease, upon speaking to head coach Ray Rodriguez, it was apparent that the odds were actually against them in this match up. “I was nervous because it’s a tough team,” Rodriguez said. “I knew we were going up against a really tough team today, but I thought our boys were ready for it.”

From the opening kickoff, it seemed Rodriguez’s nerves were warranted. Rim scored the first touchdown of the game and kept the Yellowjackets off the board in the first quarter. However, Colton found their footing in the second quarter behind the play of quarterback Koa Regalado and the return of team captains Damian Sanchez and Mateo Barboza. 

Sanchez exhibited a solid return to the field, showing just how ready he was for his return. He earned 71 yards on 14 carries. They went into the half down 21-14, but came back for the second half and shut down Rim’s offense to take the victory. 

As he does best, Koa Regalado put on a show under the Friday Night Lights throwing 191 yards and three touchdowns; two of these going to senior Kyle Mejia and the last to freshman Jonathan Quiroz. As the second half of the game came to an end, Regalado continued to run well out of the backfield, rushing for 69 yards and a touchdown to seal the game. 

Going into the game, the team planned to focus heavily on offense and “stop the run”, as Coach Ray Rodriguez said. By playing efficiently both offensive and defensive, the team was able to achieve their goal of a good performance. “We only missed twice, so we succeeded.” Quarterback Koa Regalado shared. 

Colton Football will now be entering their Bye Week but will return Oct. 4, taking a short trip to Fontana High School.