HEMET – Temecula Valley linebacker Joshua Cortezstands 5-foot-7 and weighs 165 pounds. As far as Hemet High’s offense is concerned, he might as well have been a 10-foot high brick wall.
Cortez and fellow linebacker Manny Burgess stifled the Hemet offense and Temecula Valley turned two big plays on offense into a 17-10 victory in a battle of unbeaten teams.
“He’s the heart and soul of this football team,” Temecula Valley coach Rick Mey said of Cortez. “This program had struggled in recent years. Josh Cortez is dragging them, sometimes kicking and screaming, forward.”
Hemet coach Jeff Reitz was more succinct: “That linebacker is a cat. He’s quicker than snot.”
Although the game featured two spectacular touchdowns by the Golden Bears (3-0), it was won on defense. That’s because Temecula Valley was defending its side of the field most of the night. Hemet took a remarkable 47 snaps in Temecula Valley territory in the game, but produced a single touchdown.
Cortez’s biggest play came late in the third quarter on Hemet’s first-and-goal at the Temecula Valley 1. He tackled Jeff Martin for a 3-yard loss in a series that ended with the Bulldogs settling for a 25-yard field goal by Alex Meyers and a 10-7 lead.
On the next possession, Olita Palmer made two spectacular cuts, one to kick the run outside and one to cut back in along the left sideline. The moves sprung him for a 33-yard scoring run to put the Bears ahead to stay.
Temecula Valley added to the lead thanks to Cortez’s work on offense. His 38-yard run to the 1 set up Spencer Stone’s 23-yard field goal.
Cortez finished with 107 yards on 17 carries, including 15 carries for 99 yards in the second half.
His heavy lifting, though, came on defense as he, Burgess and the rest of the Bears had to deal with Hemet’s bruising rushing attack. Martin wound up with 122 yards, but it took him 40 carries to get it.
“It’s all mentality,” Cortez said. “I’m a wrestler and I take that mentality in there. I just keep the legs moving and never give up. I think with my height, I get low to the ground and it’s hard to block me.”
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