Desert Hot Springs steps in after City Championship falls through
EL CENTRO – The Central Union High School football team will not have a bye this week despite learning Monday that its in-city rival, Southwest High School, would have to withdraw from this year’s City Championship game due to a positive COVID test.
Central Union Athletic Director Joshua Wise said he and Head Football Coach David Peña got on the horn almost immediately after learning game was off in order to line up another opponent.
They found a reluctant taker in Desert Hots Springs High School. The Golden Eagles play in the Desert Valley League, where they are 1-2 overall and 0-1 in league play. Most recently, they endured a 69-6 shellacking on April 2 at the hands of Twentynine Palms High School.
Wise acknowledged the Golden Eagles are not a strong opponent, but the Spartans have promised to enact a mercy rule of sorts if things get out of hand early for the visitors. He said Central has agreed to pull its starters early if the game becomes a blow-out and play second- and third-team players for the duration.
The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. tonight at Cal Jones Field. In addition to being a tune-up for Central Union’s annual Bell Game against Brawley Union on April 16, the game will also be Senior Night for the Spartans.
As for the originally scheduled opponent, Southwest High School Athletic Director Ruben Valenzuela confirmed there had been a positive COVID test within the Eagles’ football program. However, he said additional details would have to come from the school district administration.
He acknowledged the team was disappointed in having to cancel. “They wanted to play,” he said, “but that is beyond our control.”
Although the City Championship game is definitely off the table this spring, Valenzuela said the school is still hoping it will be able to play its scheduled game on April 16 against Imperial High School. However, that remains to be determined.
Asked if there had been any pushback from parents over this week’s cancellation, Valenzuela responded, “Not yet.”
An inquiry with the Central Union High School District was not answered as of press time.