Wildcats score early and often in trouncing Indio
INDIO — Recovering a fumble on the first play of the game, Brawley Union High School senior running back Isaiah Young set the tone early against the Indio High Rajahs and raced 23 yards for a touchdown.
Field position, turnovers and big plays would plague the Rajahs who never recovered as Brawley scored early and often, defeating Indio 48-13 at Ed White Stadium here Thursday night.
After playing in the CIF Kickoff classic against Scripps Ranch High at El Capitan
High School, then traveling to play top-10 Mater Dei and then Division II top-10 Valley Center, controlling the game with Indio afforded Brawley the opportunity use their entire roster.
“It was a good game for us as we won, and we also got to look at different guys in game situations,” said Brawley coach Jon Self. “We also looked at players in different positions, and we haven’t really had an opportunity to do that before tonight.”
On their next possession, Indio fumbled a pitch that was recovered by Brawley junior defensive lineman Brodie Enders, but the Wildcats subsequently fumbled themselves.
The Brawley defense then forced an Indio punt that triggered a sequence of plays that saw the Wildcats score three touchdowns without their defense playing a down.
First, Brawley took over at the Indio 45-yard line and third-year starter and junior
quarterback Ethan Gutierrez threw a 35-yard pass to junior halfback Brandon Porras to set up a 2-yard option run by Gutierrez for a touchdown.
Leading 14-0, Brawley’s Jorge Haro pooched the ensuing kickoff and the Wildcats recovered at the Indio 35-yard line.
Following a roughing-the-passer penalty, Gutierrez scrambled for 42 yards to set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Young.
With 47 seconds left in the first quarter, Haro again pooch-kicked, and again Brawley recovered.
Gutierrez then hit sophomore Robert Platt with a 19yard touchdown pass to make the score 28-0.
Indio then mounted its best first-half possession, driving to
the Brawley 11-yard line before the Wildcats stopped the drive on downs.
Back on offense, Gutierrez, who connected on eight of 14 passing attempts for 157 yards, found wing-back Daniel Camillo with a 78-yard touchdown pass play.
“Overall, I am feeling a lot more confident passing each game, and the skill level of my receivers is great,” Gutierrez said. “In practice we hammer it, we spend hours working on our passing game.”
Brawley’s offense was not done for the half as Young would score on a 40-yard run.
Haro’s only missed PAT followed, he connected on five of six attempts, leaving Brawley with a 41-0 lead at halftime.
Indio scored on their opening drive of the second half,
and Young made a rare appearance as a kick returner and ran the ensuing kick-off to the Indio 26-yard line.
Brawley then handed the ball to freshman running back Matthew Moreno who eventually scored on a 5-yard run to cap the Wildcat’s scoring.
Playing mostly on a short field, Brawley, led by Young’s 113 yards on six carries, rushed for a total of 209 yards, 174 of which came in the first half.
“I was ready for this game, and everybody has been working hard in practice all season,” Young said. “We had a good night running the ball because our lineman did a good job of opening up holes and holding their blocks.”
“The line is getting better and better at protecting me and giving me time very snap,”
Gutierrez added.
Junior center Brian Porras is the only returnee from the pandemic-shorted spring 2020 season.
“I’m the only returnee,” he said. “The seniors we lost were really good, but the new linemen came in young and I feel really good about them. We’re improving every day, and we’re working on our communication to be a more effective unit.”
The Brawley offensive line received a post-game honor as a unit from their teammates when they were awarded “The Rock.”
“Looking at the game in real time, before you look at the film, you are noticing good things, so we give it out right after every game,” Self said of the award. “I felt the line has been good all season, but the scoreboard is not always indicative of how they have played.”
The prize was instituted by Self when he became head coach, but the tradition goes back to his father, John Self.
“It started at Poway High when my Dad was head coach, and it involves a lot of people,” Self said. “The cheerleader make the rock each week and last night they joined the team to sing the alma mater after the game.”
Next Friday, Brawley (1-2) will play its first game of the season at Warne Field when the Wildcats host the Cibola High Raiders from Yuma in a non-league game at 7 p.m.