Central’s season ends at the hands of Scripps Ranch
SAN DIEGO — Playing tenacious defense but unable to get their offense on track, Central Union High Spartan football team lost their CIF-San Diego Section Division II quarterfinal playoff game to Scripps Ranch High Falcons 27-7 here Friday night.
The loss came a week after the 10th-seeded Spartans upset seventh-seeded Otay Ranch 33-28 in a come-frombehind victory at Olympian High.
Second-seeded Scripps Ranch, like the Spartans, are a team that moved up this season from Division III to Division II. In fact the two teams met in a 2019 semifinal playoff game, with Scripps Ranch prevailing 49-24.
While Central played the toughest overall schedule of any Valley school, 6-foot-8 Falcon quarterback Jax Leatherwood presented a unique problem for the Central defense.
But the defense rose to the occasion several times including intercepting Leatherwood twice. The first was by freshman Jared Martin, which he returned to the Falcon’s 42-yard line.
The second interception was by senior Joseph Villareal, but the Spartans failed to capitalize on either turnover and trailed 7-0 at halftime.
“Our defense did a tremendous job,” Central Union Head Coach David Peña said. “They kept
us in the game. They mixed up the coverage and confused their quarterback. Those were the first two interceptions on him all year. And our defensive line did a good job or rushing or dropping into coverage.”
Central relied most of the night on junior Charlie Sullivan to try to generate some offense including a fake punt, but his pass for a first down was incomplete.
For the game Sullivan led Central in rushing with 42 yards, in receiving with five catches for 57 yards and five punt returns for another 165
yards.
“Sullivan is a hardnose player who plays to the whistle. We tried to give them different looks in order to get the ball his hands,” Peña said.
Take the second half opening kickoff at their own 21-yard line, Central junior quarterback Damian Rodriguez was intercepted, setting up a Falcon’s touchdown.
Leading 14-0, the Falcon’s then launched a penalty-laden drive, but the Spartan defense dug in on first-and-goal, forcing Scripps Ranch to push across a touchdown on fourth down.
Trailing 20-0, Central mounted a drive, but again penalties were factored in and after a Spartan punt, Leatherwood extended the Falcon’s lead to 27-0 with three minutes to play.
But the Spartans would not go down quietly, with Sullivan returning the ensuing kickoff to Central’s 40yard line.
Central Rodriquez then hit Jack Perez with a slant pass for 9 yards and Sullivan ran for the first down. Then on fourth and 10 from Scripps Ranch 49-yard line, Rodriquez kept the
drive alive, hitting Elijah Perez for a 16-yard gain.
“We were missing two receivers, Gavin Marini and Arturo Estrada, but two seniors, Jack and Elijah, stepped up,” Peña said.
Rodriquez then connected with Sullivan for 12 yards and a first down, but with time running out, Rodriguez was sacked at the Falcon’s 25yard line.
It appeared the game was over however a personal-foul penalty on Scripps extended the game one play.
Central seized the opportunity as Rodriguez
found Sullivan in the end zone with a 14-yard touchdown pass.
Central senior placekicker Samantha Garcia then appears to have made Imperial Valley football history, nailing the PAT to become the first Valley female football player to score in a CIF playoff game.
Garcia also launched the final play of the game, kicking off to the Falcons.
“It’s the seniors’ last game, so we played as many as possible, and she worked the whole year, and it was the thing to do,” said Peña.