SAN JOSE — That is one the Wilcox soccer staff will savor, no less than for some time.
In what has developed right into a budding custom, Wilcox and Valley Christian met in a season opener Friday for the sixth consecutive fall season. Valley had gained 4 of the earlier 5. However on this event it was Wilcox with its big-play operating sport scoring three third-quarter touchdowns on the way in which to a 35-13 victory.
For sure, a three-touchdown margin of victory by a public faculty over a West Catholic Athletic League conventional energy doesn’t happen too usually. Wilcox’s one earlier win over Valley was by a 10-6 rating in 2018.
“We’ll take it,” Wilcox coach Paul Rosa mentioned. “You by no means know if it is going to occur once more.”
“It’s large,” operating again Andrew Palacios mentioned. “Final yr, we made psychological errors. To have an older staff this yr is big and it confirmed tonight.”
Palacios set the tone with an 81-yard landing run on Wilcox’s second play from scrimmage. He took a handoff on a typical blast play out of the veer, gave the impression to be stopped after a brief acquire however broke unfastened to the left and took all of it the way in which.
Valley Christian, in the meantime, managed the clock with not a complete lot to point out for it. The primary quarter ended with Wilcox up 7-0 regardless of the Warriors having run 19 performs to Wilcox’s two.
When Valley scored on a 17-yard go from Jonathan Craft to Kai Hamilton to conclude a 13-play, 80-yard drive with 9:29 left within the second quarter, the play differential had grown to 23-2.
Wilcox responded with a protracted drive of its personal to take a 14-7 lead at halftime.
“They did a great job of consuming the clock within the first half,” Rosa mentioned. “We solely had two possessions. They is likely to be down a little bit however they’re nonetheless huge, sturdy and quick.”
Momentum swung the way in which of the Chargers within the third quarter when Elijah Diallo Walker returned the second-half kickoff 95 yards for a landing. They added two extra TDs earlier than the quarter ended on 1-yard runs by Palacios and Kalil Marshall to increase their result in 35-7.
Numbers had been all the way down to such an extent for Valley Christian final yr that this system was unable to subject a junior varsity staff. That’s not the case. Head coach Mike Machado mentioned he has 41 on the varsity, 35 on the junior varsity and 48 on the freshman staff this yr.
“We’re not going to cry poor,” he mentioned. “Covid was powerful for us however we’re going to be taught from it.”
Palacios was the main floor gainer within the sport with 139 yards on 10 carries to tempo Wilcox, which had 269 yards speeding on 30 carries.
Marcel Leggett Jr. had 80 yards for the Warriors on 13 carries whereas wingback Uchenna Eke gained 75 yards on 19 makes an attempt. The staff totalled 215 yards on 45 carries.
“I like our guys and we’re going to work arduous each day to get higher,” Machado mentioned.
