Football: Team misses out on CCS after 61-13 loss to Mountain View HS
Matadors blown out in final game of the season
November 8, 2018
Additional reporting by Brandon Ng and Gauri Kaushik.
Three second-half carries. Three second-half touchdowns. That’s all MVHS senior Jacob Cortinas needed to secure a victory for his team. Unfortunately for the Matadors, the victory came for the other MVHS –– their opponents Mountain View HS.
Coming into their final league game of the season, the Matadors knew that a road victory at Mountain View HS would secure their CCS playoff berth. They also knew that a loss would mean they missed out on the playoffs, and instead Mountain View HS would get a spot.
Junior Tarun Sarung returned a kickoff for a touchdown midway through the second quarter, and senior Josiah Figueroa scored on a fourth and goal run which was setup by a shifty 20-yard run from junior Henry Lassa. But the Matadors seemed to lack the usual offensive flair and firepower they had played with throughout the season, turning the ball over on downs on numerous occasions.
After looking up at the bright red scoreboard numbers glowing 34-13, the five first-half touchdowns that the Matadors conceded meant it would be a challenge to rescue their playoff hopes.
The situation only got worse, as Cortinas returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. On the next Spartans possession, he carried the ball upfield, shifting through MVHS’ defenders for his second touchdown of the night.
Starting quarterback and senior Cheto Vasquez stepped aside midway through the third quarter, after getting banged up in the previous game, meaning that sophomore Simon Loeffler filled in for Vasquez. However, Loeffler threw an interception which was returned for a Spartans touchdown, making the score 55-13. The Spartans piled on their ninth touchdown of the night with six minutes remaining in regulation.
The game ended with a score of 61-13, MVHS’ biggest defeat of the season. The Matadors closed out their season with a 5-5 overall record, an improvement from their 2-8 record in 2016 and 4-6 record in 2017. Click through the album below to see photos from the Matadors’ Nov. 2 matchup at Mountain View HS.
