GILROY—“This is the greatest victory this school has ever had,” Christopher coach Tim Pierleoni told his team as it celebrated with hugs, cheers and back flips.
There was no shortage of storylines from the Cougar’s 28-21 win over Monte Vista Christian Friday. It was the first time Christopher had beaten the Mustangs and the win keeps them undefeated at home. As the top two teams in the Monterey Bay League’s Pacific Division, the Cougars essentially sealed up the title—and they did it on homecoming night.
Christopher led at halftime, but the Mustangs changed that midway through the third. MVC’s Ryan Spohn hit Mustafa Majeed for a 19-yard touchdown with 6:28 remaining in the third quarter to take a 21-20 lead and held it until the last five minutes of the game.
Christopher’s game changing play came when it’s defense held the Mustangs at its 8-yard-line and the visitors’ field goal attempt veered wide left, turning the ball over. The Cougars went on a nine-play, 92-yard march down field into the endzone. Max Sanford made a leaping grab and pulled down Matt Adamkiewicz’s pass for the score. The quarterback then found PJ Reichert for the 2-point conversion for the final.
“We were supposed to screen back to the left and he (Adamkiewicz) said as soon as he snapped the ball he felt them all shift to the left and he made that throw on his own,” Pierleoni said of the last touchdown. “That was just him being an athlete and making a good throw to Max and Max ended up being on the same page. I’m just very impressed with our kids tonight.”
“(I had) lots of adrenaline throughout the whole game,” Sanford added. “I think this week of preparation really prepared us for this moment. We didn’t give up. Monte Vista was ready for us, they called us out and we came out here and finished the job.”
Adamkiewicz had 20 completions on 30 attempts for 235 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions in the game.
Christopher’s defense stood on its head and helped the team overcome four second half turnovers for the win. The Cougars had a chance to strengthen their lead late after the Mustang Spohn’s fake punt went south. The home team needed just nine yards to reach the endzone. Instead, Christopher had to settle for the field goal, which was blocked, recovered and the Mustangs bolted for the endzone. Cougar Joseph Lujan was there to cut them off, making a gave-saving tackle to stop MVC at the 45-yard-line.
The Cougars wouldn’t allow their opponents another yard and forced a turnover on downs, allowing the offense to take over and let the clock run down.
Jacob Moen led the defense with 15 total tackles and a sack in the game. Brendan Lerma added nine tackles and a half sack of his own.
“It’s a good feeling to be sort of like an underdog, but we knew that we were going to have the game,” Lerma said. “Now we’re going to continue our way through league.”
Alex Pacheco put his 6-4 frame to use, fighting for every inch as he stretched his way into the endzone not once, but twice in the game. He drew first blood on a catch from Adamkiewicz from 10 yards out to put Christopher ahead 7-0 with 5:45 left in the first.
Pacheco found the endzone again with just under eight to play on another 10-yard pass from Adamkiewicz to put his team up 14-7. Moen helped set the drive up after forcing and then recovering a fumble, allowing the Cougars to take over at the MVC 25-yard line.
“I’m just so happy; I can’t describe this feeling,” Pacheco, who had four catches for 60 yards said. “I’m so glad I did it with all my best friends. I love my brothers. I love my team.”
Raul Tovar rounded out the first half scoring as he punched the ball in from the 1-yard line with under three minutes to play. The extra point was blocked and the Cougars headed to the locker room up 20-14.
Tovar had 15 carries for 73 yards. Anthony Sammut led the Cougars in receptions with seven for 110 yards.
But the game was far from perfect. Each team had it’s struggles and combined for eight turnovers in the game.
Penalties were few for both teams, but proved costly when committed. Tovar picked off Spohn’s pass at Christopher’s 44-yard-line late in the second quarter and brought it all the way back to the endzone, only to have the play reversed due to a Cougar foul.
“We fought them and we fought ourselves,” Pierleoni said. “You could see we struggled a little bit. Matty (Adamkiewicz) was a little off and it was tough to run the ball, but we just never gave up. I’m really proud of them.”
Bryant Huynh came up big twice on defense for the Cougars. He scooped up an MVC fumble—forced by teammate Jacob Zimmerman—in the third and later picked off Spohn’s pass to squash the Mustangs’ momentum.
“We had to make a lot of changes, coach Murphy had to make a bunch of adjustments during the second half of that game and he did an excellent job,” Pierleoni said. “The kids came through with the adjustments. It’s not just the adjustments, but it’s the kids understanding the adjustments. They fought tonight.”
Christopher (5-1 overall, 2-0 in league) will hit the road to take on Alisal (1-6; 1-2) at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24. The Trojans lost 37-14 to Watsonville this week.
“It (the win) feels great, but we still have quite a long season ahead of us,” Sanford said. “We have to finish even stronger than we did tonight in order to capture that league title.”
