NEXT MAN UP THRIVES AS WILDCATS DOMINATE PALO VERDE
BLYTHE — Injuries are a part of the football, yet it is not the injury itself but how a team adjusts to those injuries that is important.
Thursday night the Brawley Union High School Wildcat football team adjusted well to the loss of a key cog, defeating the Palo Verde Valley High School Yellowjackets 41-3 in an Imperial Valley League game at Scott Stadium.
At practice Monday, Boise State-bound Wildcat senior quarterback, linebacker and punter Casey Kline re-injured his right shoulder, originally hurt at about the same point in the schedule last season, again facing season-ending surgery.
“I think offensively we did some things we wanted to and saw somethings we wanted to see,” said Brawley coach Jon Self. “We had guys step up. and overall we played well.”
One of the players who stepped up for the Wildcats was junior Jacob Ramirez who took over the reigns as Brawley’s quarterback and did a yeoman’s job of running the offense in his first substantial action of the season.
“I was really nervous at first, but my team was behind me, and that gave me confidence,” Ramirez said. “I’ve been working with the team all season and Casey and the team really helped me prepare for the game.”
Ramirez averaged 5.7 yards per carry on nine rushes for the Wildcats and connected on three of six passing attempts including a 36-yard touchdown pass to fullback Michael Moreno.
“Big credit to Michael on that one,” Ramirez said. “It was a short pass, but the line did their job, and I felt comfortable making the throw.”
Palo Verde won the coin toss and deferred to the Wildcats, a calculated move as the Yellowjackets attempted to surprise Brawley with a game-opening on-side kick. The move backfired when Brawley senior Jon Gonzales caught the on-side attempt on a hop and raced 55 yards for a touchdown.
“We were expecting it because coach (Self) called it before we went on the field,” Gonzales said. “Right when he kicked it, I knew I had to get there, and I was ready to fall on it, but it bounced up to me and all I saw daylight.”
Brawley lead 20-0 at halftime thanks to a 3-yard touchdown run by Moreno, who led the Wildcats with 84 yards on seven carries, and fellow senior wingback Nathan Godinez who took a Ramirez pitch and raced 22 yards for a touchdown.
While Palo Verde showed an early ability to move the football on the ground, by half time, the Brawley defense had shut that down.
“We always come out fired up and do what we have to do to win,” said senior defensive lineman Alex Escobar. “I personally felt like I dominated my opponent tonight, and it starts at 6 a.m. every day in the weight room and carries over to practice in the afternoon. … It just pushes everyone to be better.”
To open the second half, Brawley pooch-kicked the ball between Palo Verde’s return team players and in the ensuing confusion Gonzales recovered the ball for the Wildcats deep in Yellowjacket territory leading to a quick touchdown with Godinez going in from 6 yards out.
Later in the third period, junior Blake Krigbaum exploded for a 52-yard touchdown run, and Brawley capped the scoring with the touchdown pass to Moreno.
Palo Verde barely avoided being shut-out kicking a short field goal with three seconds left in the game.
“Deonte Bell and our linebackers all did well tonight,” Self said. “Our kicker (Xaiver Peryda) did a great job with placement that gave us great field position.”
Brawley (6-1, 2-0 IVL) will host Southwest for homecoming Friday night at 7 p.m. at Warne Field.