“We’re road dogs,” said Christopher quarterback Jaxen Robinson, after the Cougars traveled to Santa Teresa and beat the Saints, the second straight win away from home over the two toughest league opponents. Christopher kicked off loop play with a 45-28 win at Branham and then whipped Santa Teresa 31-14.
That makes CHS not just road dogs but also “top dogs,” as the two victories vaulted the Cougars into the driver’s seat of the Blossom Valley Athletic League, Mt. Hamilton Division race. A week later, Christopher jumped to a 21-0 lead after one quarter and rolled past Lincoln 35-7.
The league standings show Christopher, 6-1 overall, at 3-0 and in a first-place tie with rival Live Oak. In this division, no team can be overlooked and the Acorns have rebounded after a tough start but are just 3-4 overall. The prognosticators have tabbed the Cougars as co-favorites with the Bruins and the Saints and now they’ve beaten both.
“It shows what kind of team we are,” Robinson said. “We can definitely win league.”
The superb two-week road trip began at Branham on Sept. 26. Chrisopher broke away from a 28-28 halftime tie with a dominant second half. Robinson completed 12-of-18 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns.
Matthew Boles broke the Bruins’ defense with an 82-yard score on a post pattern and tight end Matthew Anderson scored on receptions of seven and 60 yards. Ray Waller rushed for 141 yards on 19 carries, with touchdown jaunts of 10 and 11 yards.
Branham’s aerial attack, with quarterback Jack Lewis throwing to Bellarmine transfer Zayne St. Laurent, kept pace with the Cougars in the first half. But Christopher shut down the Bruins in the second half, forcing three turnovers and holding on downs three times.
Evan Vernon covered a fumble on the first drive of the second half and Salomon Quintero picked off two passes.
After the game, Quintero cited how his teammates helped set up the interceptions and complemented cornerback Tyler Green in particular. Vernon described the defense’s second half shutout.
“We knew they were explosive,” Vernon said. “It was mental. We wanted to lock down on what we were doing. Being physical with the cornerbacks and playing the safety over the top.”
The offense continued to fire on all cylinders. After an unsuccessful first possession to start the game, Christopher scored touchdowns on six successive drives.
“We establish the run first,” Waller said. “Then we pass off that. Our offensive line is very good. They made holes (for me) to run through.”
The big men on the front line include Aaron Davis-Beckford, Elijah Lopez, Diego Sandoval, Hector Diaz, Brighton Whitman, Gabriel Jiminez Ynez and tight end Anderson.
“Branham’s an excellent team,” Christopher coach Adam Hazel said. “There’s a reason they’re in the playoffs year in and year out. I’m super proud of our kids. Our offensive and defensive lines made the difference in the second half. The defense put pressure on their quarterback. The offensive line gave our quarterback protection and opened up running lanes.”
Waller ran wild and Robinson was virtually unstoppable in the aerial game.
“Jaxen did a great job studying what they do,” Hazel said. “He has poise and he has trust in his teammates. He can also read what the blitz is doing and he has an internal clock and knows when to run. Matthew (Anderson) is a big-time baseball guy and he is doing an awesome job for us.”
The next game came on a warm Oct. 4 night at Santa Teresa, and this time it was the first half that was decisive. A commanding performance by Christopher built a 21-0 halftime lead and the Cougars later extended the margin to 28-0 on their way to a comfortable win.
Quintero picked off a Saints pass midway through the opening quarter. Robinson then found Vernon open on the sideline and rifled a perfect throw that produced a 61-yard score for a 7-0 lead.
After the kickoff, the Cougars shocked the home crowd with a great defensive play by Quintero. Santa Teresa quarterback Brenton Gaches passed into the flat, Quintero jumped the play by moving between two Saints to pick off the ball and then sped into the end zone for a 20-yard score and a 14-0 lead. In nine seconds, CHS had two touchdowns.
“I took the inside,” Quintero said. “I had my eyes on the quarterback. I heard the roars from the fans as I ran and it felt great.”
Early in the second quarter, Robinson found deep threat Boles on a 58-yard touchdown pass for a 21-0 lead.
“It is me and my quarterback working together,” Boles said. “I know I can beat my guy. I gave him a little deke and then I used my speed. It’s a deep post pattern.”
Any Saints thoughts of a second half rally faded fast as the opening kickoff was returned 80 yards to paydirt by Matthew Valdez for a 28-0 lead.
Robinson closed the night at 16-for-27 for 246 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Waller suffered an injury and Josiah Garcia came through with 20 carries for 95 yards and 28 more yards on three pass receptions. Tight end Anderson caught four passes for 80 yards.
“My offensive line is amazing,” Robinson said. “I only got hit once or twice. They give me time to throw. I feel great. We put 45 on Branham and now 31 here.”
The Christopher defense was amazing. Santa Teresa entered the game with a 4-0 record but the Cougars shut them down. They held Gaches to 2-for-12 passing in the first half, along with Quintero’s two interceptions.
“A shoutout to the defensive line,” linebacker Vernon said. “They put relentless pressure on them. We focus on stopping the run first. This win says we have a great team. It was fun out there.”
The defensive front included Brady Hemeon, Donovan Alameda, Davis-Beckford, Dominic Marini, Yanez and Ethan Santos. Vernon, who had 22 tackles a week later versus Lincoln, mans the middle of the field.
Quintero, Jason Mundorff, Brandin Castillo and Tyler Green, along with free safety Boles patrol the rest of the field.
“Santa Teresa is a great team,” Hazel said. “We were ready for them. Our offensive line did an awesome job opening holes for the running back and protecting Jaxen so he can find open receivers. Our defensive line did a phenomenal job. Garcia was outstanding and Jaxen was awesome. He’s a really coachable kid. He works really hard.”
With the two big contenders defeated, Christopher is at the top of the BVAL Mt. Hamilton race. But not looking far forward and taking it week by week.
“Everyone’s good in our league,” Hazel said. “We gotta be ready for everyone. We have to take it week to week. Play hard and take it one by one.”
