SAN JOSE - Pioneer High School was a win away from clinching a spot in the CCS Open Division playoffs, but a heartbreaking loss to Oak Grove last week denied the Mustangs the BVAL-Mount Hamilton Division championship.
The host Mustangs found themselves as the No. 1 seed in Division III, and they had no trouble advancing to the semifinals, defeating No. 8 Saratoga, 56-21 Friday night. The Falcons finished their season 5-6, while Pioneer (9-2) will take on the winner of Saturday's Monterey-St. Ignatius clash.
Quarterback Zach Silva connected with wide receiver Elijah Roberts for big plays all night long. In the first quarter, Silva found Roberts blowing by his defender on a deep post route. The 41-yard touchdown pass gave the host Mustangs a 14-0 lead with 2:40 left in the opening quarter.
But the duo was not finished just yet. Late in the second, Roberts' 43-yard touchdown reception sealed the deal, as Pioneer went into halftime with a 35-7 lead. Silva finished with 250 yards passing and three touchdowns and Roberts caught eight passes for 161 yards.
"The key to the win was our offensive line giving our quarterback time to throw," said Roberts. "That didn't happen last week, so we came in tonight and really stepped it up."
Saratoga's offense was led by sophomore quarterback William Liddle, who threw for nearly 2,000 passing yards and 16 touchdowns this season, but had a rough time against a stingy Mustangs defense in the first half.
Liddle was fairly accurate, but did not get a lot of help from his receivers. A fumble, blocked punt, and unsuccessful fake field goal all contributed to the Falcons' downfall.
Pioneer, on the other hand, found different offensive weapons throughout the contest. Running back Adrian Cervantez had 14 carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns, while fullback Eddie Smith also pitched in with two rushing TDs of his own.
"CCS is a new start, so now is the time to be playing our best," said Roberts.
Although Saratoga's season came to a close with a loss, head coach Tim Lugo remained upbeat.
"If you were to compare the team that started for us Week 1 and the team that competed out here tonight - two completely different teams," Lugo said. "We grew up. Young teams get better and I'll take that."
