MOUNTAIN PASS LEAGUE
By MATT JOCKS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
SAN JACINTO With the ball on the ground much of the night, Friday’s Bell Rivalry game between Hemet and San Jacinto looked as much like a scavenger hunt as a football game.
Ultimately, it was San Jacinto finding what it wanted. The Tigers capitalized on Hemet’s mistakes and avoided damage from their own to score a 23-10 victory and maintain a share of the Mountain Pass League lead.
San Jacinto (7-0, 2-0 in league) overcame a dismal offensive start, changing the momentum with three first-half fumble recoveries. One averted a touchdown by Hemet and another turned into a score when
Arin Mannery scooped up Benny Helms’ stripped ball and raced 27 yards to give the Tigers a 16-2 lead.
“Turnovers, that’s what it was,” Hemet coach Jason Thornburg said. “You can’t do that against a good team. Our problem is, we’re a good team but I don’t think we believe we’re a good team.”
Mannery’s touchdown was part of a flurry lasting just 3:12 of the second quarter, during which the Tigers scored all their points.
San Jacinto took the lead on a 97-yard drive, capped by Isiah Bolding’s 26-yard scoring pass to Zach Bitterman.
Then, following Mannery’s defensive score, the Tigers extended the lead on a 43-yard pass from
Gabe Beal to Ryver Rainwater.
San Jacinto has begun to feature Beal for a possession or two, allowing Bolding to move out to receiver.
“He (Beal) was a twoyear starter at junior varsity and he won a lot of games,” San Jacinto coach
Aric Galliano said. “We know we’re going to be OK if anything should happen to Isiah and it also allows us to do some other things.”
San Jacinto produced positive yardage on just one of its first nine plays before the 97-yard scoring drive. However, the Tigers defense responded, keeping Hemet (2-5, 0-2) out of the end zone until late in the third quarter.
“They (Hemet) tries to trick you with some of that wishbone stuff,” San Jacinto linebacker Ryan Martysaid. “I think we did a good job reading it.”
Hemet’s lone score came on a 99-yard drive following a fumble recovery. Almost a third of the yardage was gained through two personal-foul penalties, the other key play being a 30-yard pass from Joey Iribeto Anthony Gonzales.
The Bulldogs’ Denzel Graves finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.
San Jacinto receiver Zach Bitterman hauls in a touchdown pass against Hemet defender Wyatt Salinas on Friday night. The Tigers’ 23-10 home victory keeps them unbeaten in Mountain Pass League play.
PHOTOS: DAVID BAUMAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
San Jacinto’s Jaedon Hicks runs behind his blockers during the Tigers’ victory over visiting Hemet.