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CCS Division I football: Superb season for Watsonville ends in first round of playoffs
(Watsonville VS Piedmont Hills)Posted: Saturday, Nov 21st, 2009
BY: ERIC ANDERSON
SAN JOSE — The Watsonville High football team’s record-breaking, breakthrough season came to an end with a 25-14 loss to host Piedmont Hills in the first round of the Central Coast Section Division I playoffs Friday night.
The seventh-seeded Wildcatz (7-4) never led and allowed Piedmont Hills (9-2) to score a long touchdown on its first offensive play, but trailed just 19-14 at halftime and had several drives stall in Pirates territory.
“We played a good team tonight,” Watsonville coach Tom Sullivan said. “The breaks just didn’t go our way.”
The Wildcatz had a long list of accomplishments this season. They won a share of the Monterey Bay League title, which was their first league championship since 1994. Quarterback Jerry Alvarez broke the Santa Cruz County record for passing yards in a season, and broke the single-game record for passing touchdowns in a game with seven. Fernando Olivarez broke the county’s single-season receiving yardage record, as well as the single-game records for receiving touchdowns (six) and yardage (318).
“Tonight we lost,” Sullivan said, “but the season on a whole, we won.”
The rest may be found at http://www.register-pajaronian.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=74&story_id=8003
Football: 'Catz prepare for CCS after beating PV to clinch MBL title
(Watsonville VS Pajaro Valley)Posted: Tuesday, Nov 17th, 2009
BY: ERIC ANDERSON
APTOS — The Watsonville High football team captured a share of its first league title since 1994 Saturday night, then began setting its sights on winning its first Central Coast Section playoff game since the same year.
The Wildcatz defeated rival Pajaro Valley 50-32 at Aptos High on Saturday to improve to 4-0 all-time in the Belgard Kup and tie Seaside for first place in the Monterey Bay League.
“It means a lot,” Wildcatz senior quarterback Jerry Alvarez said. “We haven’t won an MBL championship in a while.”
“It’s kind of surreal,” Watsonville coach Tom Sullivan said. “We’re all happy, but we’re still hungry for what’s in front of us.”
The rest may be found at http://www.register-pajaronian.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=7982&page=74
Football: Watsonville stuns Seaside, moves into first-place tie
(Watsonville VS Seaside)Posted: Saturday, Nov 7th, 2009
BY: ERIC ANDERSON
In one of its biggest victories in years, the Watsonville High football team defeated visiting Seaside 40-37 in a wild Monterey Bay League game Friday night.
Fernando Olivarez scored four touchdowns, including three in the second half, for the Wildcatz (6-3, 3-1), who not only bolstered their Central Coast Section playoff hopes, but moved into a three-way tie for first place in the Monterey Bay League standings. Seaside and Monterey are tied with Watsonville, but play next week, so the Wildcatz can clinch one of the league’s two automatic playoff berths with a win in their regular-season finale against Pajaro Valley.
The game was in doubt until Watsonville stopped Seaside
(6-2-1, 3-1-0) on fourth-and-2 on the Wildcatz 30-yard line. After the victory, Watsonville players jumped and hollered with joy, and the crowd at Geiser Field gave a lengthy cheer.
“This was the best game I’ve played in in all my years here,” Wildcatz defensive captain Blake Gradilla said. “It was intense.”
The winning play was a 10-yard pass from quarterback Jerry Alvarez to Olivarez, who made a leaping grab in the back of the end zone behind a Seaside defender.
The rest may be found at http://www.register-pajaronian.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=74&story_id=7937
Football: Watsonville Hail Mary spoiled by penalty
(Watsonville VS Monterey)Posted: Saturday, Oct 31st, 2009
BY: ERIC ANDERSON
The Watsonville High football team’s Hail Mary appeared to have been answered, but a penalty flag took away a potential 49-yard touchdown as time expired.
As a result, the Wildcatz lost 28-22 to visiting Monterey in a key Monterey Bay League game Friday night.
Watsonville dropped to 2-1 in league play, while Monterey, which struggled early in the season but has won four straight games, improved to 3-0 and is tied with Seaside for first place.
With three seconds left, Watsonville quarterback Jerry Alvarez heaved the ball to the right side of the end zone, where receiver Fernando Olivarez and two Monterey defenders leaped for the ball. The ball bounced off one of the defenders and Olivarez ended up with the ball after falling to the ground. Two officials glanced at each other as Olivarez and other Wildcatz players appealed for a touchdown, but a touchdown was never signaled due to a penalty for an illegal block in the back near where Alvarez threw the ball.
The officials did not signal who committed the penalty, but Watsonville defensive captain Blake Gradilla said he saw the play and thought the running back hit the defender legally in the shoulder.
The rest may be found at http://www.register-pajaronian.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=7901&page=74
Football: Lead slips away from Watsonville
(Watsonville VS Reno)Posted: Saturday, Oct 10th, 2009
BY: ERIC ANDERSON
Midway through the third quarter, the Watsonville High football team led by 21 points and looked like it was going to coast for a fourth straight victory.
But visiting Reno, Nev., rallied and scored a touchdown and added the go-ahead 2-point conversion with less than two minutes remaining in the game to win 35-34 in a nonleague game Friday night.
Asked what he hoped his team would take from the game, Wildcatz coach Tom Sullivan said, “More than anything, you have to play to win and never feel comfortable. I think we got away from just being confident and teetered on being cocky.”
It was the nonleague finale for Watsonville, which will open Monterey Bay League play next week at Monte Vista Christian.
The rest may be found at http://www.register-pajaronian.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=74&story_id=7812
Football: Watsonville's Olivarez, Alvarez set SC County records in wild win over SLV
(Watsonville VS San Lorenzo Valley)
Posted: Tuesday, Sep 29th, 2009
BY: ERIC ANDERSON
According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, which is the county’s official scorekeeper, SLV’s Matt Murphy held a record of six passing touchdowns since 1989, while Monte Vista Christian’s Matt Griffin set the receiving yardage mark (281) in 2006 and SLV’s Matty Kiel set the receiving touchdowns mark (five) in 2004. Coincidentally, both Griffin and Kiel’s marks were set against Watsonville.
Register-Pajaronian statistics credit Olivarez with even more yardage (321) on 11 catches in Saturday’s game. Watsonville coach Tom Sullivan said he would review the game film to determine Olivarez’s exact statistics. Olivarez, who had broke the Wildcatz single-game receiving yards record in a 10-catch, 217-yard performance against Santa Cruz two weeks earlier, was coming off not making a catch against rival Aptos.
The rest may be found at http://www.register-pajaronian.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=7759&page=74
Football: Watsonville snaps seven-year skid vs. Aptos
(Watsonville VS Aptos)
Posted: Saturday, Sep 19th, 2009
BY: ERIC ANDERSON
With an impressive offensive showing, the Watsonville High football team ended rival Aptos’ streak of seven straight wins in the Black and Blue Bowl.
The host Wildcatz pulled away in the second half for a 43-23 victory Friday night. It was the highest-scoring game between the two teams, which have played every year since 1969, with the exception of 1983. The previous record of 60 total points was set in Watsonville’s 32-28 win in 1985.
“It feels good to be the team to bring the Bowl home,” Wildcatz senior quarterback Jerry Alvarez said. “It’s a great feeling.”
Watsonville (2-1) celebrated after its win with the game’s trophy. Coach Tom Sullivan, in his fourth season, smiled as he held the trophy, saying, “I’ve never seen this before.”
The rest may be found at http://www.register-pajaronian.com/V2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=74&story_id=7726
Football: Olivarez's big night sparks Wildcatz
(Watsonville VS Santa Cruz)
Posted: Saturday, Sep 12th, 2009
BY: ERIC ANDERSON
Fernando Olivarez said his coaches have told him he’s not Reggie Bush.
He’s still pretty darn good, though.
Olivarez caught two touchdown passes — including the game-winner — and hauled in two interceptions — including the game-clincher — in the Watsonville High football team’s 27-20 victory over visiting Santa Cruz in a nonleague game Friday night.
The speedster had eight catches for 181 yards in the first half and suffered an ankle injury on his first reception of the second half that caused him to miss extensive action, but returned to make a decisive impact late in the fourth quarter. After Santa Cruz tied the game at 20-all, Olivarez made a one-handed 11-yard touchdown catch with 2:33 remaining, then intercepted Santa Cruz quarterback Peter Miller’s desperation pass on fourth-and-long.
The rest may be found at http://www.register-pajaronian.com/V2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=74&story_id=7687
Football: Wildcatz fall yard short of victory
(Watsonville VS Soquel)Posted: Saturday, Sep 5th, 2009
BY: RICHARD MUÑOZ and ERIC ANDERSON
SOQUEL — The Watsonville High football team fell one yard short of winning its season opener.
After a touchdown pass brought the Wildcatz within one point of host Soquel, they attempted to rush the ball in on the 2-point conversion, but were stopped a yard short and lost 22-21 Friday night.
It was the sixth straight loss for Watsonville against Soquel, and the third straight time the loss came in the season opener. The Knights now lead the all-time series 26-20.
“Both sides played well,” Wildcatz coach Tom Sullivan said. “They competed. These are games that last year we were not in. This year we are.”
The rest may be found at http://www.register-pajaronian.com/V2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=74&story_id=7654
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