Bulldog’s superstar safety ejected from game due to questionable call from ref 

The first quarter seemed to foretell the story of this game: it was going to be a defensive battle, with both teams fighting for every inch of advantage they could get. 

Hemet and Marina took turns punting the ball back and forth with neither team giving the other a chance to score. Marina was first to strike, scoring a touchdown.  Hemet responded by putting together an impressive drive, but quickly ended up with a fourth-and-long due to questionable penalty calls.

Marina took advantage of the fact they got the ball back: they marched down the field. Marina was slinging the ball through the air last Friday, which is very out of character for them. They’ve been known as a team who ran the ball all season long, but they knew that they needed more than a ground game to come away with a victory against a very strong Hemet secondary.

In the beginning of the second quarter Marina had Hemet’s defense on their toes when they threw the ball straight down middle of the field on the goal line.  Hemet captain and defensive playmaker Bradley Fye was waiting, ready to strike. Fye burst through to the Marina receiver with speed and tenacity causing him to drop the ball. The play was whistled dead and Marina medical staff came out to evaluate their player.  While Fye was laying there, the refs had a conversation and decided to throw him out of the game. No warning was issued, nor did they explain what he did in order to get thrown out. Fye didn’t lead with his helmet, leave the air, attempt to spear, hit a defensive receiver, or do something that warranted an “unnecessary roughness” call. In all of my years watching, playing, coaching, and reporting on football, it was one of the cleanest hits I have ever witnessed and Fye deserved to be praised for the hit, not ejected. 

Hemet’s “no fly zone” was in serious jeopardy. All season long Fye and Castillo have dominated offenses, laying down big hits and making big plays against the pass, but now, half of that two-headed monster was out of the game. Marina took advantage and scored again going into the half. The score was 0-14 and things didn’t look very good for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs defense had a huge stop just after the half and got the ball back for their offense. Jeremiah Graves and Ethan Leonard decided to take things into their own hands and marched right down the field together. The drive ended when they gave the ball to Max Moore who is very deceptive: he runs like a kid who is twice his size. Max Moore pushed the ball through the end-zone: the score was now 14-7.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, that would be the last time they got into the end-zone this season. Marina went on to win the game 27-7 and they move on to the championship.

Like a true captain, Brad Fye was on the sidelines when the game was over in order to embrace and comfort his teammates. “This is a completely different game if I’m playing and they know it,” Fye said. One particular Bulldog shined throughout this game and that was Ethan Leonard. Ethan never gave up: he made tough catches, fought for extra yards, and even tried his best to fill the huge hole in the defense, left by Fye’s wrongful ejection. Leonard had an exceptional year.  No one knew what to expect from him or the Bulldogs this year. It was Coach Gregovich’s first season as the head coach.  Jeremiah Graves transitioned to QB even though he was the team’s leading receiver the year before and no one knew who Ethan Leonard was before the season started. All in all, you have to consider this a successful season for Coach Gregovich and his Bulldogs. With two key players returning next season; Jeremiah Graves & Frankie Castillo, a young offensive line core, and a lot of room to grow, this team will be one to watch.

Despite the horrible calls from the refs against both sides, Marina was able to get more things going and they were also able to stay composed through adversity. Their defense applied pressure to Graves all night long and even caught two interceptions.  They also had a number of pass deflections. Marina’s Pharoah Rush had an incredible night and ran the ball extremely well. He ran for over 90 yards, had one touchdown, and performed in key moments. For that, he earns the Inland Empire Sports Connection, “Player of the Game” honors. We look forward to seeing Pharoah in action next week as Marina takes on Muir in the finals.

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The Hemet Bulldogs welcomed a tough opponent this week at home. El Rancho came into the game ranked in the Top 300 just like Hemet. On paper, it looked like it would be a defensive battle. Instead fans got a thriller. El Rancho’s Chris Andrade and Roman Rojas came out ready to move the ball In this game but penalties would be their downfall.

This game was full of back-and-forth action, both teams taking turns controlling the ball and taking the lead. The one thing Hemet has had going for them all season is a never-quit attitude. They keep playing the game until the final whistle. 

Jeremiah Graves Ready to Play

 Hemet had the lead going into half time, but El Rancho was going to do whatever it took to get back into it. Forgive the pun, but it was a DAWG FIGHT throughout. Hemet would eventually go on to win the game in the final seconds, with a final score of 35-32. But I’m getting ahead of myself. This game was a team effort to say the least.

 Hemet’s safety Bradley Fye came in on offense and ran the ball four times, two of those good for touchdowns. Frankie Castillo (Hemet’s starting corner) was also needed on the offensive side of the ball and came up with a huge score towards the end of the game. These two outstanding players will share Player of the Game honors this week.

Hemet also seemed to figure out their kicking issue.  In the first round of the playoffs they missed quite a few field goal attempts and PAT’s. This week senior kicker Asaiah Aguilar went 3/3 on PAT’s.

Two Bulldogs came up with huge interceptions both from juniors. Malachi Jones had one and Jose Rodriguez had one late in the game to secure the victory.

Jeremiah Graves had a good game throwing the ball. He threw for 155 yards, 2 touchdowns, had an interception and also rushed for over 60 yards. The pass rush was giving him some trouble.  Next week the offensive line will need to be more in sync to give him time to make plays.

The Bulldogs showed that when push comes to shove, they have what it takes to win the game. With this victory they advance into the semi-finals next week. Our Mixtape MVP will be Hemet’s Frankie Castillo. Frankie had some key tackles on defense, big catches on 3rd downs, and he had the game winning touchdown with only seconds left in the game.

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The first round of the CIF playoffs was eventful for our Mountain Pass League teams. Citrus Hill went up against a very tough opponent. Yorba Linda High School was favored to win this game in the matchup and they lived up to expectations. Citrus Hill came into the game knowing that they were the underdogs, but embraced the role and hoped to shock the Valley. Although they had a valiant idea, it never quite translated to the field. In the first quarter of the game both defenses were adamant that they wanted to be the bullies. Neither offense was able to get into the endzone, but Yorba Linda started to figure things out. They put up a touchdown in both the second and third quarter then put the nail in the coffin with two more touchdowns in the fourth. Yorba Linda would go on to win the game 28-0 finishing off Citrus Hill’s season. 7-4 was not what the team was hoping for this season, but it was Coach McMains first season as Citrus Hill’s head coach and there is always a learning curve when a new regime steps in. They will look to come back next season and re-assert themselves as the top dogs in the league. 

Beaumont came into the playoffs as the number one seed in the playoffs. A lot of people had them as their pick to be in the championship game. Linfield Christian wasn’t having any of that. They came in to this game ready to make a statement and put the rest of the division on notice. Beaumont jumped out to an early lead, but could never quite finish Linfield off. The game really lacked defense from both teams. Both offenses took turns scoring the football back and forth. However the game wasn’t without controversy: Beaumont had a touchdown called back on them due to a referees “accidental whistle” giving Linfield a chance to catch up. Lindfield’s running back and Hemet native Justin Manqueros carried his team on his back, running for 194 yards with three touchdowns. The final score was 47-42. Linfield Christian will be moving on to the next round and Beaumont’s season is now over. 

(Tigers and Bulldogs)

Hemet traveled to El Monte to take on Arroyo High School. On paper this looked like Hemet’s game to lose, but in the first quarter it appeared that the matchup was closer than it appeared on paper. Both teams struggled to get anything going, especially Hemet.  Their kicker struggled to find his mark early. This field goal kicker (Lance Macintosh) served as Asaiah Aguilar’s replacement since Aguilar was injured mid-way through the season. Lance missed a few field goals throughout the game and coach Gregovich decided to go back to Asaiah Aguilar who entered the game and handed business. The slow start wouldn’t haunt Hemet: they would go on to win the game 48-20 led by Jeremiah Graves’ 226 passing yards, 4 passing touchdowns, 130 rushing yards and 1 rushing touchdown. Hemet’s wide receiver and HSJC All-Valley receiver Ethan Leonard caught three of those touchdowns. Hemet is moving on to the second round.

San Jacinto welcomed Apple Valley to The Jungle.  This game looked like it was going to be a tough one from the first kick-off. Both teams’ defenses were holding their own and limiting the yards the other team was able to put down. Apple Valley struck first while establishing their run game, running it right between the Center and Guards over and over again. It didn’t take long for San Jacinto to figure out Apple Valley’s game plan and make adjustments. Both teams scored in the first quarter, and went into halftime tied 7-7. Kameron Rocha & Antoine Sullivan each intercepted the ball and Apple Valley abandoned the pass game because of it. Kajiya Hollawayne and the rest of the offense began to shine after the half by scoring 21 points. The defense still struggled to contain the run. Apple Valley scored 14 more points, but didn’t quite have enough to get the job done. San Jacinto won this game 21-28 and advances to the next round of the playoffs.

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Bulldogs bully Titans, Cougars hunt down Mustangs in week 9

This is the second to final week before the regular season ends: everyone is gearing up for the playoffs. Unfortunately not everyone is going to get a chance to compete in the postseason: spots are limited.  Hemet High pulled up to Tahquitz High School on Friday knowing that that had to win if they wanted to make the playoffs this season. Hemet was fresh off a loss to San Jacinto High, but San Jacinto plays in a much higher division than Hemet: and that is really the story of Hemet’s season; losses coming to opponents that are ranked much higher than they (Chaparral, J.W. North, Beaumont, & San Jacinto).  Hemet High has a truly elite defense; they play fast and play hard, led by Senior safety Bradley Fye and Junior Cornerback Frankie Castillo. Together they lock down receivers and force teams to improvise. 

Tahquitz has struggled on offense.  They have had some coaching staff issues that they will hope to resolve when the season is over, but for now, they just have to get out of their league play. Unfortunately for them, four out of the five opponents in league are in much higher divisions, which makes it hard to make the playoffs in your own division. Hemet got started early in this game and never really let up: before Tahquitz even knew what was happening Hemet had a huge lead and they never let up. This game was a good old-fashioned butt-kicking by Hemet High.  They needed to bounce back in a big way. Hemet went on to win 43-0 and increase their chances of a playoff berth. 

Beaumont traveled down to West Valley last week. West Valley started off their season 2-0 and were riding a wave of confidence that was quickly derailed when they started to run into opponents like Temecula Valley & San Jacinto. They didn’t look like they would make much of a wave at all this season. Then suddenly they took on Citrus Hill and nearly squeaked out a victory (14-6). Citrus has been the top dog in the league for a long time, so to keep a game close and to lose it in only the final seconds was actually very impressive. All of a sudden there were talks going around wondering if West Valley would be able to pull off the upset against Beaumont. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, it was never even close. Beaumont jumped out to a huge lead and never let off the gas, winning the matchup 42-0, putting West Valley on a 6-game losing streak. 

This was a huge week for Mountain Pass League teams: currently San Jacinto (4-0) sits in first place in the league. Beaumont (3-1) is in second place. Hemet (2-2) and Citrus Hill (2-2) are tied for third, although Hemet currently owns the tiebreaker between the two. Tahquitz (1-3) is currently in fifth place, and West Valley (0-4) is in last place in the league. 

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San Jacinto Pulls Off The Trifecta

A tradition that has taken place in our two towns as long as anyone can remember. The Battle of the Bell, where Hemet High takes on San Jacinto High in a cross town rivalry game. This year the JV game was played at San Jacinto and the Freshman played at Hemet. There was a lot of talk between the players leading up to the game. Most of them are childhood friends who spent their juvenile years playing together. San Jacinto hasn’t lost to a local team in the last five years and they were bent on continuing that winning streak. The JV team dominated their matchup on Thursday afternoon (20-6), which would be their first win of the season. The Freshman team handled business Friday (48-14) just hours before the varsity game. 

Before the battle of the Bell took place Hemet celebrated their Senior night where they honored their teammates who would play in their final home game in the season. The seniors posed for pictures with their family members and took pictures together. When the ceremony was over, it was time for the Bulldogs to get to work.

San Jacinto was back to receive the ball to open the game. Senior kicker Asaiah Aguilar kicked the ball straight to San Jacinto Tigers senior receiver Antoine Sullivan. Antoine snatched the ball out of mid-air made one cut and turned on the jets. Antoine flew down the sidelines and there was no chance that a Bulldog was going to catch him. Antoine cashed that return in for 6 points. 

(Historic Rivalry Comes To An End)

The game was very chippy, fans in the stand kept egging each other on with chants. San Jacinto’s running back Juan Denny decided to quiet does the crowd and ran a touchdown in. it didn’t help the situation too much, Hemet’s stands started to boo louder at the Tigers. The tigers wouldn’t have much success on the next drive. A couple of flags for unsportsmanlike conduct would walk them back to the endzone. There was a bad snap on a Tigers punt attempt which would result in a safety for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs would return the ball and get a couple of first downs. The drive would end in a field goal attempt with was good. San Jacinto would answer their field goal with another touchdown (15 yard run by Kajiya Hollawayne) going into halftime the score was 5-21 with San Jacinto on top. 

San Jacinto’s defense came out in the second half determined to shut down Hemet. And they did just that, for the rest of the game Hemet would be under the constant pressure of Sheldon Newton and Mahe Hamala. The two big guys coming down the middle would isolate Hemet’s run game while San Jacinto’s defensive backs Kameron Rocha and Keith Hunter eliminated the pass game. San Jacinto would get in the endzone one more time (A run from Kelvin Davis) and the game would finish with a score of 5-28.

Player of the Game goes to the whole defense who kept Hemet High under 200 all purpose yards, they also had one interception, two pass deflections, and multiple sacks/quarterback hurry ups. Coach Ryan Cogdill did a great job preparing his team for this game and the players did a great job of following their assignments and doing their job. Coach Ryan said this about his defense, “the kids practice really well this week and locked in to make sure we get the finer things taken care of. This was a game we can truly build upon for the next two weeks.”

A victory in this game means that San Jacinto will keep the bell until further notice. Hemet is leaving the next year, which means they won’t have to play San Jacinto. They could schedule each other outside of league play, but there is no evidence that they want to do that at this time. 

For pictures of the game, follow @authorkyleraeheadlee on Facebook.

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Bulldogs are victorious in their last game of the season

Hemet High hosted Redlands High last Friday night. Redlands received the ball and scored on their first drive with a rushing touchdown from Adam Valencia (Senior Running Back), after that initial touchdown, it was a defensive ball game. Both teams took turns punting the ball and going for it on fourth down — a back and forth defensive game to its core. At the end of the first half, Hemet made it down the field and within 15 yards of a touchdown. With time running down, Coach Gregovich decided to trust their Senior Kicker Asaiah Aguliar to kick a field goal and give them some points going into the half.

The Bulldogs offensive line couldn’t maintain their blocks and let Redlands through leading to Asaiah’s kick being blocked as time ran out. The score going into the half was 0-7 Hemet needed to make adjustments. Specifically, they needed their Quarterback to start making plays. It was Homecoming week for the Bulldogs; there was a cool Beauty and the Beast Display and a beautiful firework performance when they announced who the Homecoming Queen was. When the show was over, it was time to get back to football. Jeremiah Graves came out of the half, ready to play football. He started to make solid throws to his receivers and extend plays by scrambling out of the pocket. He seemed to live up to what his coaching staff knows he is capable of. 

The stands were full of Spectators that included; Faculty, Parents/Grandparents, Students, Alumni, and a few visitors from rival teams. The San Jacinto Tigers coaching staff was at the game. Since it was their bye-week, they saw it as a good opportunity to scout out the Bulldogs before the Battle of the Bell. A bunch of San Jacinto’s football players were also in the stands, and they made their presence known by chanting, “SJ” when the game was going on — definitely adding fuel to the fire for when they make the trip down to Hemet later this season. West Valley was also at the game, a few players and coaches in the stands. They didn’t travel quite as deep as SJ.

Jeremiah Graves ran for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter, this time the snap was bad and the holder wasn’t able to get it in position, Asaiah Aguilar called the kick-off and told the holder to go, he scrambled out of to the far side of the field and fought until he crossed the end zone line. The 2-point conversion was a success. In the Fourth Quarter, Jeremiah Graves ran for another touchdown, this time the kick was good. Hemet’s defense came up in a big way this game, containing the Redlands offense and even securing a Safety. The game would finish 17-7 With Hemet celebrating a Home victory on Homecoming.

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Chaparral Starts Fast On Opening Day

Friday night lights are upon us and the smell of the turf is as refreshing as a cold glass of ice tea on one of these hot days. Chaparral High School made the trip down to Hemet to take on the Bulldogs in their house on August 23rd. The game started off with both teams getting defensive stops and forcing punts. Hemet tried to get tricky with their punt formation and converted the first down by allowing the punter to scramble to the outside of the field; however, the play was quickly called back because one too many players were on the line of scrimmage, this time Chaparral was prepared for the trickery and shut it down. This is when the momentum on the field shifted in Chaparrals’ favor, they started to run the ball hard and beat down Hemet’s defensive front. Chaparral was the first to score in this matchup and wouldn’t let off the gas. By half time the score was 0-14 in favor of the visiting team from Temecula.

Chaparral scored another two touchdowns in the second half and pulled all of their starters out of the game, the score was 0-28 and Chaparral decided it was a good time to put in their second and third-string players. As the game started to come down to the end Hemet’s Max Moore pulled off a couple of great runs and was able to cash in a touchdown breaking multiple tackles on his way to the end zone. Asaiah Aguilar (a four-year varsity soccer player who is kicking for the football team in his senior year) converted the PAT (point after touchdown) allowing Hemet to put seven points on the board. The game finished with a score of 7-28. Coach Gregovich encouraged his team after the game telling them that this is only the beginning and that they will be alright. Hemet graduated a lot of players last year and had to convert a wide receiver to play quarterback this season. As well as that their offensive line is a brand new unit full of underclassmen and their leading rusher graduated last year too, so the offense needs to be fine-tuned before that are clicking on all cylinders.

Player of the Game goes to Chaparrals Running Back Matthew Majel (#15.) Matthew started the game with three runs in a row and answered the bell every time his coach called his name. He has an old school style of running the football even though he is a smaller back. He runs hard downhill and bounces through contact. He reminded me of a young LaDainian Tomlinson the way he bounced off of contact and kept running. After the game, Matthew Majel said, (I’m just glad I could come in and help my team win in a role that I’m not used to playing, I couldn’t have asked for a better first game as a starting running back. My team did a great job of blocking for me, and without them, I wouldn’t have been able to play the way I did.) Matthew Majel put over 100 yards and two touchdowns in the back to start his season. It’s rumored that Chaparral has a transfer running back who is set to start once his waiting period is over, but if Matthew keeps playing like that he will put up a fight for the full-time starting position. 

In other Mountain Pass League games, San Jacinto dominated Great Oak’s 30-6, Tahquitz lost to Vista Del Lago 31-17, West-Valley beat Shadow Hills 40-37, Beaumont beat Palm Desert 14-37 and Citrus Hills didn’t play this week. For pictures of the game follow Author Kyle Rae Headlee on Facebook.

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