Colton, CA—It has been a rough inaugural season for the Yellowjackets, but you wouldn’t known that by the dancing, chanting, and cheering from the sidelines as Colton cruised to their second victory of the season against Rim of World, 17-6.
Memorial Stadium played host to the first game of the San Andreas league playoffs, with a victory ensuring a second game on Tuesday at Rialto High. Colton showed up and played their best game of the season against the Flying Scots.
“We played a full game on both sides of the ball,” said head coach German Lira. “We never let off the gas and played like we were losing.”
Colton did all their scoring in the first half, with four points coming off safeties, and two touchdowns. The first, a 35-yard rush by freshman Alayna Robinson, had the Scots chasing, missing her flag on three attempts.
Robinson was recently moved up to varsity from JV and she has made an immediate impact. But she is focused on her teammates, giving them the praise. “I love having good teammates,” she said. “It makes me feel good and the celebrations feel good also.”
The second score came in the second quarter on a rushing touchdown by quarterback Miyah Quezada, followed by an extra point reception by Destiny Hidalgo.
“I felt like we had to win for the seniors,” Hidalgo said about the game.
In the second half, the Scots fought back with a rushing touchdown of the their own. After that, Colton’s defense tightened and held Rim scoreless for the fourth quarter.
“Today showed that we all wanted this win,” said team captain Heidi Alarcon. “We all put our best into this game, which felt amazing that we were all in it together.”
For the Yellowjackets, this victory puts their record at 2-11, and ensures they continue playing for one more game against the Rialto Knights today in Rialto.
Before the game, the Yellowjackets flag football team honored this year’s seniors at their first ever Senior Night. The team featured three seniors athletes and their team manager
Seniors included: Mia Campos, Arlene Diaz, Jaylene Marquez, and Marta Navarro.
The seniors were understandably emotional about the moment. Mia Campos, a lifelong football fan, was excited to get the chance to play the game. She noted how most of her teammates had never played before unlike the players on many of their opponents. “But right now, this game, we showed who we are, the talent we have, and the potential for them next year. I’m very excited for them because I think they’re gonna get it done.”
Jaylene Marquez found herself thinking about the season’s journey. “In the beginning, we had a lot of potential, and we were all hyped up, and then somewhere along the way, we got a little discouraged,” she said. “It feels good to know that, like in the end, we all, we’re all coming together, we’re all, we all figured it out, and to see that our hard work’s paying off now.”
