Monarchs programmed for championships
- Updated: October 21, 2017
JAHMON MCCLENDON rushes for Monte Vista against El Cajon Valley Friday night.
EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL
MONTE VISTA 50, EL CAJON VALLEY 0
By Jim Lindgren
Special to EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON – For the first time in a looooong time, all three football teams at Monte Vista are undefeated in league heading into their final league contest of the season next week against Granite Hills.
“That’s pretty exciting,” varsity coach RON HAMAMOTO said after his squad routed El Cajon Valley 50-0 in a Grossmont Valley Contest on Senior Night at El Cajon.
The Monarchs (5-3, 3-0) ruled over the Braves (1-7, 0-2) behind a strong rushing attack from ELSHADDAI LEVI and JAHMON McCLENDON and a stifling defense that pitched its second shutout in the past three weeks – the other a 35-0 blanking of Mount Miguel.
Monte Vista plays host to Granite Hills (6-2, 2-0) before closing the regular season with a nonleague game against Valley Center. The Jaguars (7-1, 3-0) have already clinched at least a tie for the North County Valley League and can win it outright with a win over Escondido next week. Valley Center’s only loss came against El Capitan, 14-13.
Levi scored three rushing touchdowns and McClendon two as Monte Vista put up a 29-0 halftime score.
Levi, a 5-9, 195-pound junior fullback, scored first on an 8-yard scamper in the first quarter and added a 2-yard bull a short time later.
McClendon, a 6-2, 210-pound junior tailback, scored the next two from 11 yards and then 10 yards before Levi bulled in from 1-yard.
Junior CARLOS ROBERSHAW returned an interception 14 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter, and third-string sophomore tailback SEBASTIAN VALDEZ rushed for another score in the fourth quarter.
It was the most points scored by Monte Vista since a similar 50-0 rout of Kearny more than a year ago, but Hamamoto was more impressed with the Monarchs’ defense.
“We played great defense,” he said. “Not just because we shut them out, but we really played well throughout the game. By the second quarter, we corrected our mistakes and pretty much handled things from there.
Brothers BLAKE SCHMIDT and LOGAN SCHMIDT were superb on defense. Blake is a 6-foot-3, 245 junior defensive end, and Logan is a 5-11, 185 sophomore linebacker.
“They’re always solid,” Hamamoto said. “We can always count on them to have great games.”
Juniors JACK WALKER and Levi had two sacks apiece. Keep in mind the Monarchs have only six seniors on their roster.
“The defense really gave us a short field with a couple of turnovers,” Hamamoto said. “I really think we’re improving.
“We play a lot of young kids, and they’re only getting better.”
El Cajon’s highlights included a 42-yard run out of punt formation and a second-quarter interception from DWIGHT BREWER.
The Braves were celebrating senior night.
El Cajon Valley plays at Santana next week. The Sultans (3-5, 0-2) had a bye on Friday.
