Wildcats hang on against Lions
By Saile Ramirez
(Hacienda Heights)-The Wilson Wildcats held off a late El Monte rally to win 26-20 Friday Night.
“If we play hard against whoever we play we have a chance to win,” explained El Monte head coach Joel Sanchez. “If you don’t give up and we fight we’re going to have a chance to win every game.”
Sanchez’s Lions did exactly that and were within a touchdown late in the game, but the inability of the EM offense to score in the red zone was the thorn in the Lions paw.
Wilson was the first school to score as it went up 16-0 in the first quarter. Running back Moses Vega scored twice on the ground and a bad El Monte snap led to a safety.
It took seven drives, two ending with turnovers in the red zone, and most of the first half for the Lions to finally get on the board as quarterback Manuel Santa Cruz hit running back Michael Jimenez down the sideline for a 34-yard touchdown strike.
Santa Cruz was picked off by Wilson defender Aaron Gomez to start the third quarter.
The Wildcats took full advantage of the turnover by driving down field and adding another score. Josh Morales connected with a diving Michael Soto for a 28-yard tug.
Later in the quarter El Monte again found itself on the Wilson one but was unable to punch it in thanks to a huge touchdown saving tackle by Raymond Sierra and another failed red zone attempt. To start the fourth quarter Santa Cruz erased the previous red zone failure when he hit Memo Silva for a three-yard touchdown.
The ensuing Wilson drive saw El Monte hold the Wildcats to four third and long situations only to have it be erased by three personal foul penalties. The fouls led to a 32-yard field goal by Joseph Saenz.
“We’re still young and get complacent,” said Wilson head coach Brian Zavala. “We keep telling these kids we can underestimate anybody.”
With just two minutes left and the game all but won, Lion’s linebacker Joe Sanchez scooped up a bad snap and scored from 30-yards out to close the gap. After a missed onside kick attempt El Monte sought to get the ball back one more time.
The Wildcats were forced to punt but as the Lions tried to field the kick the returner muffed the ball and sealed the deal for Wilson.
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