Paloma Valley Tunes Up for Playoffs With Big Win

Junior running back Corey Maddox rushed for 122 yards and 2 touchowns for Paloma Valley Friday night. Photos by Daniel Millhouse

By Daniel Millhouse

On a cold Friday night that finally felt like fall, Paloma Valley High School's football team was on fire, defeating the Titans of Temescal Canyon, 69-28.

The Wildcats' victory assured them the No. 2 spot in the Sunbelt League and their fifth postseason appearance in a row. The Titans needed a victory as well and an Elsinore loss against Perris High to assure themselves the third playoff spot in the Sunbelt League, but the Wildcats were quick to quash those hopes.

The tandem of Demarco Prewitt (right) and Khayrii Joyner were held to a combination of 64 yards on 20 carries, but they were still able to combine for 3 rushing touchdowns. Once the Wildcats were up 41-21 at the start of the fourth quarter, their second-string running backs were able to contribute 3 more touchdowns. Junior Corey Maddox ran for 122 yards on 4 carries, which included 2 touchdown runs of 41 yards and 72 yards. He was joined by Daelyn Outland, who scored a touchdown late in the game, giving Paloma Valley 6 touchdowns for the game from their backfield.

"Maddox is next year’s future," said coach Bert Esposito of Paloma Valley. "He’s a great running back and he’s behind two really good players. Next year, watch out for him. He’s dynamite."

Paloma Valley’s passing game also contributed heavily to the victory. Sophomore quarterback Chance Nolan, who passed for 302 yards for the night, hit junior receiver Blake Moore for a 42-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to put the Wildcats up 14-0 before the end of the period.

The Titans cut that lead in half a little over a minute into the second quarter when senior running back Anthony Cuicchi scored on a 3-yard touchdown run. This was the closest the Titans would get for the rest of the game.

Within 50 seconds, after an 86-yard kickoff return by Dayday Lewis that took the Wildcats to the Titans' 8-yard line, Prewitt scored his first touchdown of the night on a 5-yard run. That put the Wildcats up 21-7.

Getting the ball back, Titans quarterback Justin Gomez fumbled the ball when he was under pressure by linebacker Dylan Rodriguez. Defensive lineman Chase Ryther (left) scooped up the ball at the Wildcats 25-yard line and ran it for 75 yards for a touchdown, putting his team up 28-7.

"When I caught it, I just didn’t know. I blacked out for a second," Ryther said after the game about the play that left him winded. "It’s like ‘Oh god! I have the ball. I have to run!’ "

Down, but not yet defeated, Temescal Canyon marched the ball downfield, with the help of several penalties, to the Paloma Valley 23-yard line before being stopped. On fourth down, the Titans faked a field when place holder Gomez took the snap and found receiver Jake Stepanek in the end zone, cutting Paloma’s lead in half.

Determined to score before the half, Paloma Valley came out firing. Nolan hit Prewitt for one of his 4 receptions for a 71-yard pass that took the Wildcats to the 2-yard line. With six seconds on the clock, Prewitt finished off the drive with his second touchdown run of the night on a 2-yard run.

Down at the half, the Titans switched out their quarterback for junior Justin Mitts. During his first pass attempt of the night, Dayday Lewis intercepted the pass and ran it back for a 39-yard touchdown run. This put the Wildcats up 41-14 after a missed extra point attempt.

Getting the ball back, Titans quarterback Mitts threw his second interception in a row, this time to sophomore linebacker Steven Bradshaw, who ran the ball back 18 yards to the Temescal Canyon 25-yard line.

Inserting their own backup quarterback, the Wildcats went with Lucas Opp, who threw an interception of his own on his only attempt of the night. It was caught at the Titans 2-yard line by defensive back Alizae Quinn and taken in for a 98-yard touchdown as the third quarter ended. This put the score at 41-21.

Paloma Valley took control of the ball to start the fourth quarter and scored when Nolan hit wide receiver Cameron Whatley for an 18-yard touchdown pass with 8:46 left in the game.

Temescal Canyon kick returner Michael Asafu-adjaye caught the ball right at the goal line on the next kickoff and ran it back for a 99-yard kickoff return that still left his team down 48-28.

This is when the combination of backup running backs Maddox and Hyland combined for 3 touchdowns in the final eight and a half minutes of the game to put the score way out Temescal Canyon's reach, 69-28.

While piling up the points on the scoreboard, there was still room for improvement for Paloma Valley. The team was dinged for 10 penalties for 126 yards, despite the objections to some of the calls by the Wildcats coaching staff.

"There were some key penalties and stuff that really just destroyed some of our defensive stops," Esposito said after the game. "That kills your momentum. You got stuff going, you’re stuffing them and then all of a sudden that happens. Our kids stood up and they did what they had to do after that."

Other notable offensive performers included Cameron Whatley’s 7 receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown reception and Moore’s 56 yards receiving with a touchdown reception. The defense was also led again by sophomores Phil Mills with 8 tackles and a pass deflection and 8 tackles by Bradshaw with an interception.

After the game, Esposito said of his underclassmen, "After the season we’ve had, they’re experienced warriors. You wouldn’t be able to tell who our sophomores are. They’re players."

"We just got to keep our defense up," Ryther said when asked what Paloma Valley needs to do going into the playoffs. "Our offense, we’re always scoring and always pounding it. Our defense, though, has to pick it up."

Matchups for the first round of the playoffs will be announced by the CIF Southern Section office on Sunday.

Running back Khayrii Joyner picks up yardage during Paloma Valley's victory Friday night.