SALINAS — Mired in a three-game losing streak and facing a halftime deficit against a North Salinas team that hadn’t tasted victory all year, Soledad didn’t get mad or get even.
The Aztecs went far above and beyond, outscoring the host Vikings 29-0 in the second half to roll to a 43-17 Thursday night victory at Rabobank Stadium.
“It was just simple mistakes that were killing us,” said senior Josiah Freeman, who had 62 rushing yards, 51 receiving yards and two touchdowns on the night. “We just came out and fixed them.”
Freeman had an interception two plays after the Aztecs took the lead on Damian Mejia’s one-yard quarterback sneak, then helped open up a three-score advantage on the first play of the fourth quarter with a 21-yard touchdown run as Soledad (3-3, 1-1 PCAL Mission) began to pull away.
As remarkable as the second half was for the visitors, Freeman’s best play came in the first half, when he managed to haul in a remarkable 51-yard touchdown in double coverage, hauling in the Mejia pass as both defenders missed, then waltzing the final 10 yards to paydirt.
“That’s probably the best catch I’ve had all year,” he said.
That play put the Aztecs up 14-10, but North Salinas (0-7, 0-3) wouldn’t be outdone, answering with two big special teams plays to cap off a back-and-forth first half. The Vikings went three-and-out after a block in the back negated a long Josiah Guzman kick return and a pair of incompletions, but the ensuing punt went off one of the Soledad special teamers’ legs, which the hosts managed to recover at the 49. Back in punt formation again three plays later, North Salinas lined up in a tighter set than the play often calls for and snapped to upback Isaiah Guzman, who ran 47 yards up the far sideline for the score and the fifth lead change of the half.
Not only was it the last time the Vikings would score, it would be the last time they had any success moving the ball until the game was out of hand.
“We did some quick work on where our linebackers were,” head coach Eric Rodriguez said. “We did a great job in the second half on defense.”
Soledad’s defense swarmed throughout the second half, allowing just one first down, which didn’t come until there were eight minutes left in the game with the outcome well in hand.
“We just told our defense to play how they play,” said Ulises Jimenez, who combined with Freeman in the secondary to render the North Salinas passing attack completely ineffective. The Vikings were limited to 39 yards through the air, mainly on screen passes, and though quarterback Allan Tanori connected on six of his first eight passes, including a three-yard touchdown to Jake Sotelo with 6:15 left in the first half to go up 10-7, there was simply no penetrating Freeman and Jimenez.
“That’s where I shine the most, when I’m in coverage,” said a confident Jimenez, whose play embodied the rowdy and boisterous attitude that Soledad conveyed. “That’s why you play these games, the competition. You love to talk back and forth.”
Even though the Aztecs received the opening kickoff to start the second half, the defense was quickly put to work as they fumbled on their third play from scrimmage, wasting the good field position that stemmed from Issaiah Cruz’s 31-yard kick return. Undeterred, they forced an eight-yard loss on the first play, then coerced North Salinas into punting after Jimenez was able to lock Sotelo down in coverage.
Soledad never seemed to look back from there, getting runs of 12 and six yards from Jaycob Olivas, 17 yards on a toss play to Kevin Oliver, another 17 on a screen pass to Olivas and 11 yards on a sweep by Angel Villalobos before Mejia’s one-yard score. Freeman’s interception on the next drive and a 17-yard Richard Urquidez run set up a 17-yard touchdown pass from Mejia to Cruz, who had two touchdown receptions on the night. He also hauled in a 37-yard score in the first quarter.
Mejia threw just 12 times and was intercepted by Josiah Guzman on his very first attempt, but he went on to have one of his best nights on the year, completing seven of his passes for 148 yards. Kevin Oliver also had a memorable evening, picking up 151 yards on 11 carries and blocking a punt for a safety. He then took the ensuing free kick 48 yards to set up the final Soledad touchdown of the night, a seven-yard run by Urquidez, who dragged a pair of defenders across the goal line.
The Aztecs host Monterey (3-3, 1-1) next Friday. The Toreadores are also next on the schedule for the Vikings, who have their bye week before returning to action.
