Citrus Valley edges Beaumont, keeps its CBL title hope alive
BEAUMONT » There were times Saturday night when the Citrus Valley football team appeared on the verge of having to punt. But Dylan Wheatley just dropped back and connected with one of his receivers to keep drives alive or produce a touchdown.
Citrus Valley’s ability to create big plays, no matter the down or distance, was the difference as the Blackhawks held on for a 38-36 win over Beaumont in a see-saw Citrus Belt League game.
Wheatley completed 18 of his 32 passes for 353 yards and four touchdowns. Three of the touchdowns were scored by Ty’Jhon Belton and covered 27, 50 and 13 yards. The fourth was an 80-yard catch and run by Sergio Cervantes.
Brockton Lium had six receptions for 118 yards, and Cervantes added 119 yards on three catches. Belton recorded seven receptions for 96 yards.
“Those guys are big playmakers,” Wheatley said. “I know if I can get the ball into their hands, they can make something really special happen.”
Wheatley and Belton hooked up twice during the first quarter to help Citrus Valley (3-1) grab a 14-8 lead. The duo connected again in the second quarter to put the Blackhawks up 26-15.
Beaumont (2-2) didn’t back down, relying on its running attack to keep things close. Armando Cuellar scored on a 2-yard plunge just before halftime. The Cougars then took a 29-26 lead early in the third quarter as Michael Cruz tossed a 24-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open David Phillips.
About a minute later, Wheatley hit Cervantes on a stop-and-go pattern for the 80-yard touchdown that helped Citrus Valley regain the momentum.
“It’s frustrating,” Beaumont coach Jeff Steinberg said of the big plays.
“There were times when we made some great defensive plays and had them in third-and-long or fourth down. Citrus Valley has some good players who made real big plays.”
Jeremiah Claiborne ran for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a 6-yarder that helped Citrus Valley extend its edge to 38-29.
Beaumont trimmed that deficit to three points as Cruz scrambled for an 18-yard touchdown with just more than 8 minutes remaining.
There was a nervous moment in the final seconds for Citrus Valley.
Citrus Valley lined up for fourthand-long with 7 seconds remaining. Wheatley tried to run out the clock but was immediately wrapped up by Beaumont defenders. He flipped the ball forward and was penalized for intentional grounding.
With 2 seconds left, Cruz lofted a Hail Mary pass to the end zone, but the ball was batted down by Jelani McLaughlin at the 5.
The win gives Citrus Valley a chance to claim a share of the league title. The Blackhawks will host Cajon (4-0) in the season finale April 17.
“We want to be the first Citrus Valley football team to win league,” Wheatley said. “That would be a special moment, even if we have to share.”
Cuellar rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns to lead Beaumont’s ground attack. Cruz finished with 134 yards passing.