Brawley celebrates homecoming with 36-7 win over Southwest
BRAWLEY — The Brawley Union High football team celebrated homecoming Friday night by breezing past Southwest High, 36-7, at Warne Field.
The Wildcats’ high-octane offense scored 30 points by mid-second quarter, nailing down the victory early.
“I think our team did good,” BUHS’ Isaiah Young said. “We worked together as a team, finished as a team and finished the game well. Everyone did their job, and did it right, so that’s why we pulled off the win.”
That was also true of Young himself, who finished with three touchdown runs as starting running back.
Young made his mark just a few plays into his team’s opening drive, as he blew through the middle of Southwest’s defensive line for a 50-yard touchdown run.
Young followed that up by plowing through the Eagles line again to score the two-point conversion.
“The line blocked really well this game, and I was playing good, too,” the junior said. “I was feeling it. That’s how I scored.”
This left the Wildcats with an 8-0 lead at the 10:45 mark in the first quarter.
The Eagles’ offense answered back in its first drive of the game, as quarterback Logan Jungers found senior running back Manuel Gonzalez from 6 yards out for a touchdown pass.
Southwest kicker
Matai Cervantes converted the PAT, drawing the Eagle within a point at 8-7 with 32 seconds left in the first.
The game didn’t stay close for long. Brawley’s Young took a handoff from 35 yards out, found some space on the left side of the field and made it into the end zone after breaking through a few defenders.
Minutes later, at 7:47, the Wildcats struck again, when senior Jayden Figueroa took it to the house on a 18-yard run. Young converted on a two-point run, putting Brawley up 22-7.
Brawley sophomore Tanner Carranza joined the touchdown party at the 6:34 mark with a 16yard scamper of his own. A successful two-point run by Figueroa put the Wildcats up 30-7.
Carranza, a fullback, said this is his second year ever playing football, and that he’s “been trying to just work hard” in order to make the varsity roster. He said he was running the ball as hard as he could Friday night, yet ultimately gave credit to Brawley’s O-line for his success.
“Our line was doing really well,” he said.
After halftime granted the Eagles a temporary respite, Young took it to them again in the third quarter, scoring from 30 yards out at the 7:37 mark.
Friday’s turned out to be a coming-out party for Young, who saw minimal playing last year as a sophomore.
“Over the summer and everything, I worked out, lifted so I could gain weight,” he said. I gained about 40 pounds from last year.”
Bulking up and adding strength not only won Young a starting spot on offense, but also as the primary kick returner and starting defensive back.
“It feels good to be on the field more,” Young said. “I feel bigger, stronger, faster.”
Young’s third TD run of the game capped the scoring at 36-7 (the PAT was missed). The PAT attempt that followed Young’s touchdown run was no-good, leaving the Wildcats with a score of 36-7, which remained unchanged the remainder of the game.
With the game well in hand, Brawley Head Coach Jon Self pulled starting QB Ethan Gutierrez at the start of the fourth in favor of his backup. Gutierrez ascended to the starting role last season as a freshman and led the Wildcats to the CIF-SDS semifinals. He was the first freshman starting QB in the school’s history.
Southwest’s Jungers has thrust into a similar position this year for the Eagles. The freshman entered the season as second on the depth chart behind senior QB Nathan Holguin. However, when Holguin went down with an injury, the understudy was pressed into service.
“I just had to step up as a leader and as a captain and just bring our team, and put our hearts out there,” Jungers said.
Along with the pressure of Friday being only his second high school football game, Jungers also had to deal with the pressure of Southwest running a no-huddle offense the majority of the game.
“It’s just a good learning experience,” Jungers said. “We’re just trying to get better every single day.”
Jungers is the younger brother of former Eagles QB Cameron Jungers. The elder brother, a 2018 SHS grad, started three years behind center for the Eagles.
Friday’s game boosted Brawley’s overall record to 2-0, while Southwest dropped to 0-2.
The Wildcats will be on the road until April 16, when they’ll play host to Central Union High for the annual Bell Game.
Southwest will be back in action Friday at 7 p.m. at Ward Field in Calexico, where they’ll take on the Bulldogs.