Lack of Depth Catches up with SJ Against La Serna

San Jacinto jumped on the bus and headed to Whittier for the Semi-Final match up against La Serna who was ranked in the top 50 in the state. San Jacinto was ranked in the top 100. This was always going to be a tough game for the Tigers, but they felt like they had what it took to take La Serna down. La Serna got off to a fast start and scored in the first quarter. San Jacinto responded in the second quarter when quarterback Kajiya Hollawayne connected with the always dangerous Kameron Rocha for a touchdown.

The two teams went into the half tied, 7-7 and it was anyone’s game. Unfortunately for the Tigers, their offense couldn’t get much done and they would fall to La Serna 14-7. The Tigers defense should have their head held high after a game like that. Prior to this game, La Serna has never scored less than 28 points this season. This loss is impressive, especially considering what Coach Cogdil (defensive coordinator for the Tigers) had to work with this season. Mid-way through the season, Coach Cogdil lost one of his key defensive lineman and his secondary was basically a puzzle that he forcefully glued together on the fly.  Cogdil lost shut-down corner Davon Banks in the second week of the season. Another player who practiced with the team and looked to be a really good cornerback quit mid-way through summer.  Then Jordan McFrazier left the team midway through the season and Keith Hunter couldn’t finish the year because of a concussion he suffered against Citrus Hill.

A couple players from the offense had to come in and play for the defense. The most notable would be Antoine Sullivan, who was always willing to do whatever it took to win the game. Toriano King (Tahquitz Transfer) stepped in to play corner. At times, King looked dominant as a run stopper: he has quick feet and hits hard for his size. King is really good at stopping progress short, and hanging on to an offensive player until his teammates can join the group tackle. The problem with being such a great run-stopper is that his fakes completely catch you off guard. Although Toriano King was a huge help against the run game, he became a liability for the pass defense. In the four games he played for San Jacinto, he got caught “biting” on the Play-Action (fake handoff) and double moves from the receivers on a consistent basis. Kameron Rocha who has division-1 talent, dominated all year long, could only pick up so much slack. He wasn’t able to cover King every play.

(Tigers Fall in the Semi-Finals)

Kajiya Hollawayne had two interceptions, only 90 passing yards, and 50 running yards: a very underwhelming performance from such an electric player. This makes two games in a row that his play was less than what spectators have come to expect when showing up to a San Jacinto game. You have to wonder: were the defenses really that good?  Was Hollawayne just having a bad game?  Or maybe he is nursing an injury? The Tigers played deep into the playoffs last season.  Hollawayne competes in off-season 7-on-7 football, plays on the basketball team, and the baseball team. It’s entirely possible that his body was just running out of juice as the season began to wind down. 

Either way, expect the Tigers to bounce back in a big way next season. They are losing some notable players on both sides of the ball, among those the offensive players include: Aj Ojeda (O-line), Juan Denny (RB), Antoine Sullivan (Wr), and Joaquin Osuna (O-line). Players graduating on the Defensive side include: Sheldon Newton (D-line), Mahe Hamala (D-line), LJ Vaifanua (D-line), Elijah Torres (DB), and Diego Sanchez (OLB). They are also losing a couple key utility back-ups who play wherever/whenever needed; William Stinnett and Scott Gordan.  But what is going to hurt the most is losing Kameron Rocha. Kameron Rocha dominated every opponent all year long: he plays in every phase of the game and is a game-changer on all sides of the ball. Rocha banked in over 450 receiving yards, 4 touchdowns, 69 tackles, and 12 interceptions. Among those stats are countless pass deflections/break ups, clutch catches, huge stops on fourth down, and huge first down conversions. Replacing him will not be easy for Coach Galliano and staff.

La Serna advances to play Pacifica in the finals next week.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Tigers Fall in the Semi-Finals

The post Tigers Fall in the Semi-Finals appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

On Friday the 15th, Kaiser traveled down to San Jacinto to take on the Tigers in the Division 5 quarterfinals. On paper, Kaiser came into the game as the favorite with an undefeated record, but their strength-of-schedule was suspect at best. They elected to play lower-ranked teams during the season, while San Jacinto took a different route and played lesser or barely-equally talented teams.

The game appeared as if it was going to be a close defensive dog fight in the first quarter, with neither team scoring and both coming up with interceptions. San Jacinto’s defensive front had Kaiser’s number.  Led by Sheldon Newton, Mahe Hamala, Lj Vaifanua, and Nathan Ortiz SJ stymied Kaiser’s running game: which has been their strength all season.

Trevian Tribble running the ball

San Jacinto took the lead in the second quarter when Kelvin Davis came up huge with a touchdown on the ground and Antoine Sullivan caught a beautiful pass from Kajiya Hollawayne. Sullivan took it for 30yds and into the end-zone. This gave the Tigers a 14-0 lead heading into half time.

The rest of the game was all about defense from both sides: they took turns forcing 3-and-outs and driving down the field. San Jacinto would have scored another touchdown, but a goofy call from the refs held it up. The final score was 17-0 and the Tigers advanced to the Semi-Finals next week.

Player of the game is tough, but it has to go to Kameron Rocha who was all over the place making big tackles. He also came up with two interceptions on the game, caught a 39 yard pass and was a difference-maker all around the field. This kid is quickly making a name for himself in his senior year and should be catching the eyes of college scouts. It should be noted that players like Sheldon Newton, Elijah Torres, Lj Vaifanua, and Nathan Ortiz all made a huge difference in this game and deserve to be respected.

Kajiya Hollawayne did an amazing job directing his team, leading them to victory even though he didn’t have his usual stellar game.  Hollawayne only rushed for 11 yards and threw for 97. He also added two interceptions which is not what we have come to expect from him.

Kameron Rocha with a huge hit

 Kaiser’s Quarterback, Trevian Tribble threw 3 interceptions in this game, which is significant because he only threw 4 on the whole season. He also struggled to run the ball after Nathan Ortiz of San Jacinto blew him up in the backfield.

Tribble shows flashes of elite talent and I fully expect him to lead his team to the playoffs again next season.

For access to all of the pictures of the game, follow us on Facebook @ Inland Empire Sports Connection. They are 100% free to download as long as you follow and share the page.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Seearch: Tiger show off

The post Tiger show off Elite defense against Kaiser appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

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.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Tigers and Bulldogs

The post Tigers and Bulldogs, still very much in it appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Tigers Prey on Hawks and become League Champs

On Oct 25th the San Jacinto Tigers traveled to Citrus Hill High School to take on the Defending League Champs. Citrus Hill came into this game with only one loss on the year (against Hemet in week 6). This game was vital to San Jacinto in that they want to secure home field advantage in the playoffs.

Citrus Hills came fresh off a very tough game against West Valley, where they barely squeaked out a win. San Jacinto played Hemet in the game before this and got past them with relative ease. San Jacinto had two losses on the season (Woodrow Wilson and Eastlake).  San Jacinto won the coin toss and elected to defer until the second half. Citrus Hill was back to receive the ball. San Jacinto’s kicker Joseph Barajas launched a beautiful kick to the 20 yard line. San Jacinto’s defenders swarmed on the ball carrier and instantly brought him down. 

Citrus Hill’s first drive was stopped quickly with San Jacinto forcing a 3 and out. The Tigers came out with a huge amount of energy and aggression: they asserted themselves early in the first quarter. The Defensive line had no problem getting through and applying pressure to Citrus Hill’s backfield. San Jacinto’s defensive backs did a great job shutting down their assignments and the linebackers did their job. It looked like Citrus Hill was in trouble early. San Jacinto took over the ball, but struggled to get anything going just as much as Citrus. 

Both teams were in for a defensive battle and that’s the way it would be all night long. San Jacinto scored first, right before halftime, courtesy of a run by Kelvin “Boo Boo” Davis. At half time the score was 0-7 in favor of the Tigers. Citrus Hill answered San Jacinto and scored a touchdown. At the start of the fourth quarter, the game was tied 7-7. Sheldon Newton (San Jacinto’s premier defensive linemen) wasn’t going to give up so easily. Coach G called his number on offense. With the help of a beautiful pass from Kajiya Hollawayne, Sheldon gave the Tigers a seven point lead with only six minutes left to play. Citrus hill answered back and burned a ton of time off of the clock. Fans in the stands were watching a nail-biter. The score was 14-14 with only 1:34 seconds on the board, San Jacinto had to march down the field and score. Kajiya Hollawayne aired it out and launched a 50-yd bomb to one of his most reliable receivers, Kameron Rocha. Rocha elevated his body in an amazing vertical leap and snatched the ball out of mid-air. 

On the very next play, Hollawayne scrambled out of the end-zone and scored, giving the Tigers a six point lead. There was only 34 second left in the game and that’s all Citrus had to try to win it. Citrus marched down to the 50-yard line without much stopping them. There was just enough time on the clock for a couple of “Hail-Mary” attempts: the first one was launched out of bounds and the second one was thrown into a sea of players from both sides. It looked like a good old-fashioned game of “3-Flags Up” until San Jacinto’s Antoine Sullivan came in “clutch,” with a huge interception to win the game, 14-20 Tigers. With this win the Tigers clinched a league title. At the very minimum it will be shared with Beaumont assuming the Tigers lose their final game of the season. However if the Tigers win or Beaumont loses then the Tigers will be the sole Mountain Pass League Champions. 

Player of the Game goes to San Jacinto’s Sheldon Newton who dominated the line of scrimmage all night and caught a huge touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Tigers Prey on Hawks

The post San Jacinto secures the league Championship at Citrus Hill appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Tigers Remain On Top

Week 8 is in the books and the season is beginning to wind down. San Jacinto High School (SJHS) Dominated Hemet High in the Battle of the Bell last week, which resulted in some off-field nastiness (see our story a too-physical coach elsewhere in this edition), but what else happened around the League?

Beaumont traveled down to Hemet to play the Tahquitz Titans. Beaumont scored 55 points in the game and Tahquitz only posted 7. Beaumont’s starting quarterback Edward Mcculloch posted up 172 passing yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for one touchdown. Beaumont’s pair of running backs, Sadiq Randolph and Jonathan Solis ran for 131 yards and 4 touchdowns against Tahquitz. This was a great game for Beaumont who improves to 7-1 on the season and 2-1 against league opponents. Their only loss came from San Jacinto in week 6 of the season. 

Citrus Hill also made the trip to Hemet, but they went to West Valley and took on the Mustangs. On paper, Citrus Hill should have put on a beating, but West Valley (WV) came out and made this game a dog fight. WV’s defense held together and shut down Citrus Hill offense: WV limited their offense to only 14 points, which is impressive considering Citrus has averaged over 30 points a game this season. West Valley showed that when they come together and play as a team they have what it takes to play with the big dogs. Unfortunately their offense struggled to gain any momentum and they couldn’t get on the scoreboard until the third quarter. West Valley also lost one of their key playmakers, Rueben Rivera to an injury, which didn’t help their offense. 

At the end of this week, there’s no new shift in the standings. San Jacinto is still on top with a 6-2 record and is 3-0 against league opponents. Citrus Hill and Beaumont are tied for second/third place with 7-1 overall records and 2-1 in league play. Hemet and Tahquitz are tied for fourth/fifth place both have a 4-4 record but are only 1-2 in league. Finally West Valley is at the bottom of the pack with a 2-6 overall record and are currently 0-3 in league.

This was a great week for Mountain Pass League teams and the competition was stiff, as all the teams are eyeing a position in the playoffs.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Mountain Pass League

The post Mountain Pass League Football, Week 8 Review appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Tigers Hunting Down Hawks In Week 9

San Jacinto High School (SJHS) will take the trip to Perris as the Tigers seek to hunt down some Hawks. San Jacinto is fresh off a victory over their rival, the Hemet High Bulldogs. San Jacinto dominated the matchup 28-5, with Hemet’s only points coming off a safety and a field goal. San Jacinto is currently on a four-game win streak and are undefeated in league. Right now they are ranked 84th in the state. The have the highest ranking in the league and are holding on to that number one spot. San Jacinto has to have this game circled on their schedule: if they are able to win this one, they will only be one win away from going undefeated in the league. 

Citrus Hill is coming off a tough game against West Valley where they barely pulled out a victory against the Mustangs. Citrus Hill has a 7-1 record on the year and are 2-1 in league play. Their only loss was in the first week of league against a Hemet High team that dominated them defensively and kicked a 35 yard game winning field goal. This game between San Jacinto & Citrus Hill will be one to watch.  If San Jacinto can pull out the win, they essentially clinch the league title and a playoff spot. If they lose, their future is questionable–most likely they will finish second or third in the league and their playoff chances will be up to a coin flip. This game is the definition of a “must win” for San Jacinto.

West Valley (ranked 539 in state) is hosting Beaumont (ranked 196) this week. Beaumont will come into this game thinking that this is an easy win, but West Valley showed last week that they can play with the best of them, containing Citrus Hill to only 14 points. West Valley is going to need to come out and play like they did last week to silence their doubters. This is a big opportunity for them to finish their season on a high note by taking away Beaumont’s playoff hopes.

Hemet travels across the city to play against Tahquitz for the Ramona Cup. Both teams are fresh off a loss and need to get back in the win column in order to keep their playoff dreams alive. This is Tahquitz’s last home game of the season. Tahquitz is coming into the game ranked 562 and they still don’t have their head coach. Hemet is going to be hungry after losing the last Battle of the Bell: they are coming into the game ranked 271.  This is Hemet’s game to lose and they better win if they want to get into the playoffs. 

For pictures of our Game of the Week (San Jacinto at Citrus Hill) follow @authorkyleraeheadlee on Facebook

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Tigers Hunting Down Hawks

The post HSJ Chronicle’s Game of the Week appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

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.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Historic Rivalry Comes To An End

The post This Historic Rivalry Comes To An End… Again appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Tigers Head to Bulldog Stadium to Take on the Dogs

It’s Rivalry Week in Hemet & San Jacinto. In our game of the week the San Jacinto Tigers are going to travel to Hemet High for the Battle of the Bell this Friday night. 

The Battle of the Bell is a long standing tradition dating back to 1929. Throughout its history the game has been canceled and renewed a number of times due to division/league changes. Historically Hemet High has dominated the matchup and retained the bell. This year promises to be an electric matchup as both teams seem virtually even heading into the game. San Jacinto has a better record (5-2) and is ranked higher (117 in state) but both of their losses came from very tough opponents who have decent rankings themselves.

“Inconsistent” is the best way to describe this year’s Hemet squad. At times they look like they are the team to beat in the division and at other times they seem to struggle getting their offense going (currently they have a 4-3 record and are ranked 252 in the state).

Hemet’s defense and special teams have really been the key to the team’s success this season. They’re constantly making huge stops and clutch kicks. Hemet hasn’t quite played the quality opponents San Jacinto has, but they did beat Citrus just two weeks ago, and Citrus hasn’t been beaten by a team in the league since 2010. You have to respect that and know that they have the capability to turn any game into a dog fight.

San Jacinto’s key to the game is that they’re going to have to come out and score fast. Look for Kajiya Hollawayne and Juan Denny to establish the run game early. Kajiya will have his senior receivers Kameron Rocha & Antoine Sullivan down field waiting for the ball as well as the always trusty Damonce Williams who seems to make big catches when the team needs it most. Their Defensive key will be to continually apply pressure with their front four so the rest of the defense can cover their zones successfully, leaving no openings for the pass game.

Hemet’s key to the game will be to score at all costs. It’s going to be a dirty game, but they have to score quickly and then manage their time. Draw plays, sweeps, and Quarterback keepers will be their best friend. Hemet will need to use as much of the play clock as they can and find a way to get first downs on a regular basis if they want to win this game.

In other Mountain Pass League matchups, Beaumont will look to continue their win streak by traveling down to Hemet to play the Tahquitz Titans. Both teams need to win this game to keep their playoff hopes alive and stay relevant in the league. Citrus Hill is also coming into town to play West Valley. This should be a “gimme” game for Citrus Hill, but West Valley is getting one of their key playmakers, Alfred Jones back from injury. Alfred has a chance to score every time he touches the ball, so getting him back is huge for the Mustangs.

For pictures of our Game of the Week follow @AuthorKyleRaeHeadlee on Facebook.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Battle of the Bell

The post Battle of the Bell appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Game Review

Last Friday night West Valley traveled to “The Jungle” to try to take out the Tigers. They knew going into the matchup that they were the underdogs and they embraced the role. They needed to come out and make a statement in the beginning of the game. West Valley went big in their first three plays attempting a 20yard pass. However, San Jacinto’s ball hawk Kameron Rocha came up with a huge interception. Rocha had a decent return and set up his offense in great field position. The Tigers first play of the game was almost tragic. A hand off between Kajiya Hollawayne and Damonce Williams was bobbled and almost turned over. Damonce quickly picked up the ball and started running to the end zone. Defenders were crashing in on him, but none of them were quite fast enough to catch him. Damonce dove for the end zone and crossed the line before being pushed out. The Tigers had the lead with only 30 seconds off the clock.

Not much changed for the Mustangs in their second opportunity with the ball. At first it looked like they were getting some offense going, by using a “hard count” against the Tigers (a hard count is when a QB calls for the center to snap the ball, but the center doesn’t snap it hoping that the defense will jump offsides) very successfully. Kameron Rocha (who is the captain of the defense) decided to take things into his own hands and laid down a monster hit, causing the Mustangs to fumble the ball. San Jacinto again capitalized on the turn-over by scoring a touchdown, this time though, Kajiya Hollawayne would throw the ball to senior receiver Antonie Sullivan for the touchdown.

San Jacinto dominated the matchup, the final score was 41-0, Kajiya Hollawayne finished with 207 yards, 4 touchdowns, and a quarterback rating of 149.3 which is a perfect rating. Our Player of the Game goes to junior receiver Damonce Williams who had two touchdowns on the night, he also made a big catch for a two-point conversion and banked in 88 all-purpose yards.

After an unforgettable performance against Citrus, Hemet traveled up to Beaumont and tried to maintain the same energy. The Bulldogs and the Cougars were in a defensive battle throughout the game, but it was the Cougars who would come out on top in that matchup 14-10. Citrus Hill came out ready to put their last week behind them and welcomed the Titans to their stadium. Citrus got out to a fast start and never let off the gas, dominating the matchup 37-7. At the end of this week San Jacinto is sitting on the Iron Throne of the division while Hemet, Beaumont, Citrus Hill, & Tahquitz are all seeking their opportunity to strike. West Valley is sitting alone at the bottom of the division with a 0-2 record.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Game Review

The post Tigers Leading Mountain Pass League appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Tigers seeking to prey on Mustangs this week

After a crazy, hectic previous week, some teams in the Mountain Pass league will look to keep up the momentum while others will seek to get back into the win column. In our “Game of the Week” we will take you to San Jacinto High School as the West Valley Mustangs come into town and try to take SJ down.

Historically San Jacinto has dominated this matchup.  

San Jacinto is currently ranked 129 in the state. They have dropped quite a bit from the beginning of the season when their ranking was 97: currently they have a 4-2 record and are fresh off a dominant victory against Beaumont.

West Valley started the year with a 2-0 record, but have struggled since. Currently they are on a four-game losing streak coming off a tough loss against Tahquitz where they basically beat themselves.

One of West Valley’s key playmakers, Alfred Jones, went down with a possibly significant injury last week: it is unknown if he will be available for this matchup. The West Valley Mustangs are definitely playing the underdog role this week. Many players are going to have to have the game of their lives and hope that San Jacinto struggles to find chemistry.

West Valley is a good team, but they have half as many players as San Jacinto.  That imbalance has many disadvantages: players get tired more easily as they have no one to sub for them; if injuries occur, it gets harder and harder to keep key players in the game. Many West Valley players have to play on both sides of the ball.  As the season goes on, the challenge to maintain mounts with each game. Last season West Valley dominated the matchup 49-0.

(Competition is starting)

Hemet is traveling up to Beaumont.  Hemet is fresh off their amazing victory over Citrus Hill. They have all the momentum and energy on their side going into this matchup against Beaumont. Beaumont seemed poised to finish at the top of the league until they ran into the San Jacinto Tigers last week: the Tigers brought them back to reality. Beaumont will be looking to rebound off of their week six lost and re-assert themselves amongst the best in the division. The last time Hemet and Beaumont played each other Hemet left the game the victors winning 25-14.  Even though this is a different team, Hemet will hope to have a similar performance.

Citrus Hill is hosting Tahquitz this week. Citrus is fresh off a loss against Hemet High, getting beaten by a field goal. Tahquitz is in a position to reap the consequences of that crushing loss. Citrus Hill doesn’t believe a team like Hemet should have ever beaten them. Hemet is a Division 11 team with a brand new QB; their offense and defense have been inconsistent for the majority of the year, showing flashes of brilliance at times, but they’ve struggled to get things going as of late. Citrus Hill is a Division 5 school with a huge roster and talent pool to match, which means they should have a huge advantage over schools like Division 11 Hemet.

Division 13 Tahquitz is the Dark Horse in the league. They certainly have the potential to play competitive games against the upper echelon, but they have a tendency to beat themselves by making silly mistakes.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Competition is starting

The post Competition is starting to heat up, as the season begins to wind down. appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.