The Hollister Viking Pop Warner teams hosted the Delta Bay
Buccaneers for their final regular season game of the year last
Saturday.
By Kitina Martin Special to the Free Lance
HOLLISTER
The Hollister Viking Pop Warner teams hosted the Delta Bay Buccaneers for their final regular season game of the year last Saturday.
While the Junior Midgets lost a tough battle to the Bucs, both the Pee Wees and the Midgets will advance to the playoffs this weekend.
There has been a correction to the playoff dates, times and locations for the Junior Pee Wee Vikings, the Pee Wee Vikings and the Midget Vikings.
On Saturday, the Pee Wees will play at 11 a.m. in Sunnyvale against the Cambrian Valley Longhorns. On Sunday, the Junior Pee Wees will play at 3 p.m. in Soquel against the Mountain View Mauraders. Also on Sunday, the Midgets will play at 3 p.m. in Gilroy against the Cambrian Valley Longhorns.
Hollister is hosting the Mitey Mite Bowl this Saturday at Andy Hardin Stadium. There will be Mitey Mite games all day beginning at 9 a.m. The Hollister Viking Mitey Mites will play at 7 p.m., under the lights, against the Campbell Wolverines.
Please come out to support the teams in their quest for the championship game.
Pee Wees
Hollister 14, Delta Bay 6
Unbeatable? Perhaps.
Driven? Evidently.
Motivated? They appear to be.
Undefeated? Definitely.
Words used to describe the Junior Pee Wees may also apply to the Hollister Viking Pee Wees as well.
The Vikings ended their regular season undefeated in their quest for the National Championship.
The Vikings faced off against a tough Buccaneers Team. It was a defensive battle throughout with the only points being scored in the third quarter.
The first quarter was back and forth. Marcus Darnell and Steven Morales had several great tackles. Darnell ran the ball for a significant gain, but the Bucs stopped the Hollister threat.
In the second quarter, the Bucs had their sites on the Vikings’ end zone, but they fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Darnell to stop the Bucs dead in their tracks. The Bucs tried to run the ball to the outside and up the middle, but were denied any significant gains by the tough Vikings defense, led by Darnell, Cody Cameron, Junior Munguia, Dominic Padilla, Austin Tobia and Damon Perez. The Bucs then tried their passing game, but on third down, Cameron broke up a pass to bring up fourth down for the Bucs. Eddie Munoz intercepted a Bucs’ pass to end the first half with a score of 0-0.
To begin the second half, the Bucs came out fighting and led off the third quarter with a 69-yard touchdown run, putting them on the board first. But Cameron blocked the kick to prevent an extra two points being added to the score.
The Vikings offense then exploded. Brody Benitez, AJ Cervantes, Jordan Goldstein, Wanblee Sanchez, Colin Brody and Jacob Dempsey all stepped up and gave the Vikings hope. Angel Pasillas, on the kickoff return with a great block by Munoz, ran the ball 55 yards, giving the Vikings awesome field position. Pasillas passed the ball to Perez for a touchdown with 8:45 to go in the third, tying the ball game 6-6, and the Vikings defense came onto the field, fired up.
Perez intercepted a Bucs pass, but the Viking offense was not able to capitalize. Munguia recovered a fumble on the Delta Bay 10-yard line, giving the Vikings excellent field position. The Vikings were not able to hold onto the football and fumbled. However, once again, the Vikings defense was able to force Delta Bay to three-and-out.
With 1:51 left in the third, Cameron ran 16 yards for the end zone. Pasillas was able to split the uprights, giving Hollister a 14-6 lead over the Bucs. On the kickoff, the Bucs were able to run the ball to the Hollister 40-yard line, but Louie Aceves recovered a fumble to stop Delta Bay’s threat.
The fourth quarter was once again a defensive quarter. Pasillas intercepted the ball and ran 30 yards to give the Vikings good field position, but Delta Bay stopped the Vikings’ drive. Cameron sacked the Bucs’ quarterback to bring up fourth-and-long for the Bucs, who attempted a pass that was incomplete. Hollister took over on downs and ran out the clock for the win.
Junior Midgets
Hollister 8, Delta Bay 32
The Hollister Viking Junior Midgets season came to an end after the Delta Bay Buccaneers defeated the Vikings by a score of 32-8.
The Vikings played a tough game but were only able to put eight points on the board. Michael Pirnik completed a pass to Conner Bernal for a Hollister first down in the first quarter. However, the Vikings were unable to capitalize and fumbled the ball, giving the Bucs great field position.
Austin Wahl scored the Vikings only touchdown in the second quarter, putting the Vikings on the board with eight points. Ray Parra, Nate Garza, Gio Caro, John Canes and John Hartshorn all played their hearts out.
Austin Blake and Tyler Tobia had some good defensive plays to shut the Bucs down in the second half.
The Junior Midgets finished their season 2-6 and are looking forward to next season already.
Midgets
Hollister 27, Brentwood 0
The Vikings advance into the playoffs with a win against the Brentwood Falcons, as they stomped on the Falcons by putting 27 unanswered points on the scoreboard.
The Vikings won the toss and opted to receive the ball, however, the Vikings fumbled the ball and Brentwood took over with excellent field position.
The Viking defense took the field and forced the Falcons to four-and-out, with Jonathan Huaracha breaking up a pass to stop the Falcons’ threat. The Vikings took over and drove the ball deep into the Falcons’ nest.
Sergio Prado and Anthony Cervantes had two long runs, and quarterback Brandon Villar ran the ball seven yards on a keeper into the end zone to put the first points on the board. Huaracha split the uprights to put the Vikings up 8-0 with 3:48 left in the first quarter.
The second quarter was handled by the Hollister defense. Ryan DiSalvo pinned a Falcon ball carrier deep behind the line of scrimmage, forcing the Falcons to punt the ball. Jordan Swinscoe and Adam Huaracha also prevented the Falcons from advancing the football. Patrick Mank, Isaiah Quintana, Ruben Alnas and Ricky Munguia were also forces on the defensive side of the ball.
The Viking offense, although it did not score, was not quiet. Villar passed to Christian Goldstein for a 20-yard gain. Villar also passed to Steven Angulo for 19 yards, but Angulo was tackled at the goal line to end the first half with Vikings on top 8-0.
The Viking offense was determined in the third quarter. Cervantes ran the ball 25 yards to give the Vikings a first-and-goal at the Falcons 5-yard line, and then ran five yards into the end zone for the second Viking touchdown of the game with 6:16 left in the third quarter.
But the Vikings were not finished. After Alnas made two big tackles and a sack to stop Brentwood’s threat, the Viking offense took the field and Cervantes carried the ball into the end zone once again with the protection of the offensive line, including Cole Benitez, Ryan Okerson, Eric Mendoza and Raymond Rondez. The Vikings decided to go for one, and Cervantes passed the ball to Jacob Martin, which put the Vikings on top 21-0.
The fourth quarter was a disaster for the Falcons, as the Viking defense pushed the Falcon offense deep into their own territory. The Vikings got three safeties in the fourth quarter, two from Brentwood snapping the ball out of the end zone, and one after Cervantes tackled the Falcon ball carrier in the end zone. The Vikings sent the Falcons home with a loss by beating them 27-0.
