SAN JOSE, CA – A remake of the 2005 CCS Division 3 finals between Palma High School and Valley Christian called for a tight, intense game to the finish. Just like in 2005, the Warriors came out on top, winning 14-10 to secure the CCS Open 3 championship title.
“Our guys fought, our guys played hard. We played a good football team,” said Valley Christian head coach Mike Machado. “Palma is a good football team. They’re well coached, they got kids who can play, and they proved that tonight.”
In the first quarter, after a series of runs by the Warriors offense, star quarterback Miles Kendrick threw a 28-yard floater to wide receiver Anthony Flores to get the team just a few yards short of the touchdown. Running back Jovan Sturns ran two yards to grab the first touchdown of the game.
“Our quarterback did great, he came out in the first half and gave us a chance to jump on them quick,” added Machado.
Kendrick also found Flores for a 39-yard catch, but the running backs for Valley Christian were the stars of the night for the offense. Senior running back Isaiah Rodriguez had a 4-yard touchdown in the second quarter that put the Warriors 11 points ahead of Palma going into the half. Although there were a lot of running plays in the game, Kendrick still put up an impressive 98 yards with only one incomplete pass. The offense had a total of 311 yards in the night.
“I think we did a great job,” noted Kendrick. “It was a championship game, everyone came out and played their hearts out, so it was a great game and we executed well.”
On the defensive side, the Warriors made sure the Chieftains would only score a field goal going into the second half. Conner Edgar sacked Palma’s quarterback Zach Flores just as they were getting momentum. With three minutes left in the game, just as Palma was looking to make a comeback of its own, Flores intercepted the ball as it was just about to land on the ground. The Warriors defense caused seven incomplete passes and an interception late in the game.
“Our defense did outstanding,” said Rodriguez, “When our offense was struggling, they came out and played hard for us. “
Despite the loss, the Chieftains had their own moments in the game. Running back Emilio Martinez did most of the work for Palma in the offense. Martinez ran 54 yards to get the offense in field goal range, giving them their first points in the game. Only a minute into the second half, he ran for a 50-yard touchdown to give Palma hope for a comeback. Quarterback Zach Flores found Martinez for a 30-yard gain as well. Overall, the offense put up 258 yards, 233 of which came from Martinez alone.
“We definitely played our best that we could tonight,” said Martinez. “Everyone played their hearts out. Obviously a lot of disappointment, but I am definitely proud of everyone.”
Valley Christian improved to 12-1 for the season, and is guaranteed of a berth in the upcoming CIF playoffs. Palma falls to 10-2 with the loss, but is still in the running for a CIF playoff berth.
