Gridiron Greats
Six make Week One’s ballot
The 2019 high school football season kicked o Friday night with all local teams returning to action for the first time since last fall.
Central Union looked every bit the defending champ it is in skunking Yuma High School 38-0, while Vincent Memorial and Holtville’s Viking eked out nail-biters.
Brawley started off well, but let its game against Gila Ridge get away from it. Imperial, meanwhile, started poorly, but finished strongly enough against Cibola at least to make a game of it.
Calexico, Calipatria and Southwest, to put it kindly, had very tough days at the office.
That was Week One, and the good thing about the first week is that there still is a lot of time to improve.
It also means it’s time again to introduce this season’s
weekly Gridiron Greats poll. Every Tuesday we’ll provide a summary of standout performances from the previous weekend and give readers an opportunity to vote for the one that shines the brightest.
Winners may be chosen only once over the course of the season. They’ll appear on the ballot again only at the end of the season, when readers are invited to select the Gridiron Great of the Year.
Cast your votes at www. ivpressonline.com/gridirongreats.
This week’s winner will be announced in Friday’s edition of the Imperial Valley Press.
Deniro Osuna, Central Union
It’s virtually impossible to justify not including the Spartans’ senior quarterback among this week’s picks. Osuna made everything look easy against Yuma High’s Criminals, completing 11 of 17 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns before bowing out early with the game well in hand.
Angel Nava-Esparza, Central Union
Like his teammate Osuna, senior linebacker Nava-Esparza had his stat line abridged on account of blowout. In a closer game, there’s little doubt he would have added a few more notches to a belt that included four tackles, a sack and a 22yard touchdown run.
Hernan Olivas, Vincent Memorial
The Scots’ senior quarterback accounted for all of their points in a 2019 squeaker versus Palo Verde. Olivas tossed for two TDs, ran in another and scored the game-winning two-point conversion on a quarterback sneak. He gained 119 yards on the ground overall.
Jose Devoux, Holtville
The junior running back, who appeared regularly on this list last season, is picking up right where he left off. Devoux rushed 25 times for 224 yards and three touchdowns in the Vikings’ 32-28 victory over Instituto Salvatierra of Mexicali. He gained 119 of those yards in the fourth quarter, after being sidelined with an injury that kept him out of the entire third quarter and part of the second. His eight rushes at the end of the contest ate up the last four minutes and iced the game for the Vikings.
Ryan Bonillas, Imperial
In a close loss against Cibola (21-14), the junior defensive back and slot receiver shined, making 22 total tackles (11 assisted, 11 solo), including six for a loss, while catching seven passes for 117 yards, including a 60-year TD grab in the fourth quarter to make it a one-score game.
Nathan Torrez, Brawley Union
Torrez, the Wildcats’ senior quarterback and defensive back, scored touchdowns on offense and special teams in Brawley’s 28-19 loss to Gila Ridge. On offense, he put up six points on an option run. On special teams, he scored on a blocked punt return. He also snagged an interception on defense.