Christopher football dominated the Blossom Valley Athletic League, Mt. Hamilton Division this year with a 6-0 mark, winning each game by 17 or more points. That gave the Cougars their first-ever sole BVAL championship, a prestigious “A-League” title.
CHS’ three-year reign of success is unprecedented in school history.
During that span, the Cougars are 29-6 overall and 14-2 in league play. In all three seasons, they have competed in the Central Coast Section Division II playoffs, the second highest grouping behind the Open/Division I bracket of eight.
Darren Yafai coached the team the previous two years and Adam Hazel manned the helm this past campaign.
The season was highlighted by league showdown victories on the road over at Branham 45-28 and at Santa Teresa 31-14 in consecutive weeks. After whipping Lincoln 35-7, Oak Grove 43-20 and Leigh 32-7, the Cougars nailed an unbeaten league slate and title by smacking rival Live Oak 31-7, gaining revenge for a 2023 loss to the Acorns.
In the competitive CCS D2 playoffs, Christopher lost a nail-biter 21-14 to Menlo, a reversal of last year’s 21-17 playoff win over the same school.
“I am so proud of our kids,” coach Hazel said. “We’re Mount Hamilton champs; we beat our rivals. The last couple years, they’ve done a great job. We’ll continue to grind and do better.”
The Cougars were led by an impressive crew of athletes, headed by a generational talent in quarterback Jaxen Robinson. Robinson is 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, with a rifle arm featuring accuracy, touch and strength—complemented by vision and an understanding of reading defenses.
Robinson, who will play next season at Northern Arizona University, completed 186-of-280 passes for 2,592 yards—a .664 percentage and a superb 13.9 yards-per-completion average. He threw for 27 touchdowns with just five interceptions and was named BVAL League MVP. Robinson finished fourth in CCS in both passing yards and touchdowns.
Additionally, although not an obvious dual-threat and RPO (run-pass option) quarterback, Robinson ran well when needed and picked up yards and crucial first downs. He had 50 carries for 194 yards and five touchdowns.
For his career at Christopher, Robinson completed 403-of-635 passes for 5,661 yards and a .635 percentage, with 58 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions.
The offensive line was stellar in protecting Robinson and in opening holes for the running game. Lineman Aaron Davis-Beckford, at 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, was named BVAL Offensive Lineman of the Year.
Brighton Whitman, at 6-foot-5, 270 pounds, was named to the BVAL All-League First Team and Hector Diaz and Diego Sandoval received Second Team honors.
The running game was fueled by Ray Waller, who rushed 51 times for 359 yards and a 7-yards per carry average, though an injury shortened his season. Josiah Garcia, named First Team All-League at running back, was solid all year, carrying 136 times for 701 yards and a 5.2 yard average.
The receiving corps was headed by Evan Vernon, who made tough catches, key catches and always came through in the clutch. Vernon pulled in 55 balls for 807 yards and seven touchdowns and a 14.7 average. Matthew Boles, named BVAL Utility Player of the Year, provided a deep threat and had 30 receptions for 474 yards, a 15.8 yards-per-catch average and five touchdowns. Boles was also dangerous on special teams.
Tight end Matthew Anderson, a big target at 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, had a plethora of crucial receptions, hauling in 27 balls for 252 yards, a 16.7 yards-per-catch average and five scores. Anderson received First Team All-League honors. Garcia was also utilized out of the backfield as a receiver and caught 22 for 187 yards and four touchdowns.
The defense was led by the physical play of Vernon, named BVAL Defensive Player of the Year. He totaled 155 tackles, an amazing 14.1 per game average, fourth most in CCS. Jaxon Mondorff, Second Team All-League at linebacker, delivered 64 tackles; and senior Salomon Quintero, named BVAL Defensive Back of the Year, picked off six interceptions, highlighted by a 100-yard pick six at Aptos.
Depth is key and the Cougars also had First Team All-League recognition go to linebacker Terrence Barnes and cornerback Tyler Green. Second Team honors went to lineman Ethan Santos and linebacker Brandin Castillo. Kicker Ryan Antipuesto was named to the First Team.
Individual highlights during the season were many. Garcia ran 15 times for 110 yards against Piedmont Hills and Waller added 83 on 11 carries. Vernon caught eight passes for 125 yards and a touchdown.
Against Palo Alto, Robinson completed 21-of-26 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns. Vernon caught seven for 90 yards and made 12 tackles on defense and intercepted a Viking pass.
In the league opener at Branham, Christopher was tied 28-28 at halftime. In a 17-0 second half, the Christopher defense forced three turnovers and held on downs three times. Vernon covered a fumble and Quintero had two interceptions. On the night, Robinson threw for three touchdowns and Waller ran for 141 yards and two scores.
A week later, the Cougars jumped on top of Santa Teresa 21-0 by halftime and rolled 31-14. Robinson threw for 246 yards and two touchdowns, Garcia ran 20 times for 95 yards and Quintero had a pick six.
After two big road wins to kick off league play, CHS came home and smashed Lincoln. Robinson completed 17-of-23 passes for 206 yards and two scores. Garcia rushed 14 times for 73 yards and a touchdown and backup David Contreras Campos carried nine times for 95 yards and a score.
Vernon was dominant on both sides of the ball as always, catching seven passes for 79 yards and making an amazing 22 tackles. Against Oak Grove, Garcia rushed 15 times for 132 yards and a touchdown. Vernon continued his stellar defensive play with 21 more tackles.
Robinson was unstoppable against Leigh. He passed 23-of-33 for 301 yards and three touchdowns, with Vernon pulling in nine for 120 yards and a score.
With revenge on their minds against Live Oak, the Cougars jumped on top 17-0 after one quarter and rolled. Robinson completed 18-of-26 passes for 285 yards and four touchdowns. Reception yardage was spread out, with Vernon getting 85, Anderson 75 and Boles 66.
Although the season ended a bit earlier than desired, it was a successful year and put the exclamation point on an amazing three-year run. In 2022, CHS tied for first with Lincoln and Live Oak and lost in the playoffs to Aptos 38-7. In 2023, CHS finished second behind Live Oak and reached the CCS D2 final where they lost 28-0 to Soquel, an eventual state champion.
The 2024 squad won the league title and its only losses were by four points to Carmel, an unbeaten 15-0 team that won a state title, and to Menlo by seven points.
Great job kids, now put some real shoes on. When did become ok to slob around in slippers. Someone should have taught you better like your parents or teachers. Put on some pajama pant too.