MORGAN HILL, Calif. — Despite surrendering one of the most valiant game-tying drives imaginable, the Sobrato Bulldogs managed to pull out an overtime homecoming win on Saturday night.
The Westmont Warriors lost three key players to injuries during the fourth quarter, including two key offensive weapons, and nonetheless managed to tie the game with 28 seconds left, but Sobrato (5-3, 4-1 BVAL-Santa Teresa) managed to score on the first play of overtime and clinched the game on a Trey Bringuel interception for a 21-14 victory.
“The coaching staff challenged these kids, especially the seniors,” victorious head coach Jubenal Rodriguez said. They were in great spots offensively and defensively, but at the end of the day, it’s up to them to will it to happen, and they did that.”
Tied 7-7 into the fourth, the Bulldogs took the lead on four straight runs by quarterback Seth Hernstedt, the last of which was an eight-yarder with 7:17 left. Westmont (5-3, 2-3) looked all but dead after losing both running back Jacob Lang and star receiver Elijah Monroe to injuries, but the Warriors managed to will their way to the tying score.
Lang, who ran 26 times for 116 yards, hurt his ankle after a 4-yard run with two minutes left. Monroe hauled in a 13-yard completion from Zackary Zepeda for a fourth-down conversion on the very next play, but he leapt for a ball in the end zone one play later and came down hard on the dirt. After a lengthy delay, he was carted off the field and taken to a nearby hospital for precautionary evaluations, though he seemed to be in good spirits.
Even without their two biggest offensive weapons, the Warriors still found the end zone. Zepeda hit tight end Mason Price for a gain of 12 and connected with sophomore Ryan Rangel for a 5-yard pickup, after which the Bulldogs thought they had recovered a game-sealing fumble before realizing Rangel had been ruled down.
Even when a delay of game flag pushed the visitors back to the 8, they managed to score on Zepeda’s pass to Gavin Garcia, who lunged and barely broke the plane with 28 seconds left. Chance Lavoie’s extra point tied the game.
Any momentum from that drive or the two ensuing Sobrato incompletions that forced overtime didn’t last long. On the first play of overtime, Hernstedt found a hole and put his team ahead for good with a 10-yard run.
“They weren’t gonna get good traction on us,” Hernstedt said of playing on the only natural grass field at any of the BVAL’s 24 schools. “We have the advantage.”
Even with Lang back on the field, the Warriors couldn’t mount one final response. Garcia found the end zone on a swing pass on the first play but was called back on a hold. And though a 10-yard reception by Price set up one last chance at the 5, Bringuel’s interception on fourth down ended the game and sparked massive celebrations on the home side as Sobrato fans basked in the glow of victory at the school’s lone on-campus night game of the season.
“I’m definitely a proud alumnus tonight,” said Rodriguez, a member of Sobrato’s inaugural 2007 graduating class. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been a proud Bulldog, but I definitely am today.”
Aside from a pair of long early touchdowns, the game was largely a defensive stalemate for the first three quarters. Monroe had a 62-yard score wiped out by holding on Westmont’s first possession, and after Sobrato missed a 33-yard field goal, Monroe took a short pass from Zepeda for a 69-yard score.
In all, Monroe had 108 receiving yards on six catches and 64 rushing yards across eight carries. The Bulldogs fired back three plays later with a big play of their own, a 66-yard touchdown run by Richard Ortiz.
The first of three Warriors to suffer an injury, Zach Taylor, recovered a fumble on the opening play of the second quarter after Chris Christopherson knocked the ball out from Hernstedt’s grasp. Westmont got all the way down to the 6, but left with no points from the turnover after the Bulldogs stuffed Lang. Not to be outdone, the Westmont defense stopped Ortiz on fourth-and-goal at the 2 in the final minute of the first half after a bad snap on a punt set Sobrato up at the Warrior 5.
Westmont also reached Sobrato territory in the third quarter twice but failed to score each time. Three flags turned first-and-10 at the Bulldog 16 into fourth-and-30 from the 36, and Colin Bringuel sacked Zepeda to end the drive. Three minutes later, the Warriors were in Sobrato territory again after a 20-yard pickup by Monroe, but Mark Collins poked the ball free from Zepeda and Remy Hernandez came up with the recovery.
After Taylor suffered a blow to the chin and was down on the field for several minutes before being checked for concussion symptoms, the Bulldogs took their first lead of the night. Hernstedt’s short completion to Trey Bringuel turned into a 24-yard gain, and Hernstedt finished the drive off with runs of 14, 15, 10 and 7 yards.
In all, Hernstedt ran nine times for 70 yards and a pair of scores. He also completed 7-of-16 passes for 99 yards. Ortiz had 107 yards on 11 carries, while Zepeda was 13-of-23 for 157 yards and two scores.
Entering the weekend, both teams were projected to miss the cut for the CCS playoffs, but the win helps keep the Bulldogs in contention and keeps them even with second place Leigh. The top two teams in the BVAL-Santa Teresa earn automatic playoff bids, and the Longhorns visit Sobrato next Saturday at 3 p.m.
“We have a big opportunity to make a big change and get our school known,” Trey Bringuel said.
Westmont visits Branham (5-3, 3-2) on Friday night.
