Paloma Valley Puts This One Away Early, Beats Sultana, 64-14

Quarterback Brent Boehm directs traffic as he heads upfield in Paloma Valley's big win Friday night.

A couple days before the high school football season started, Paloma Valley coach Bert Esposito said he wanted to see the Wildcats get off to a fast start.

Mission accomplished -- and then some.

Quarterback Brent Boehm passed for 270 yards and 5 touchdowns in just one half of play, the Paloma Valley defense smothered the opposition all night, and the Wildcats cruised to a 64-14 win over an outmanned Sultana team Friday night.

In their home opener, the Wildcats piled up 525 yards total offense, scoring virtually at will in building a 64-0 halftime lead. The second half was played with a running clock and Paloma Valley's second- and third-string players got a lot of experience as the team improved its record to 2-0.

Last week, Paloma Valley opened the season with a 61-6 victory at San Bernardino, meaning the Wildcats have outscored the opposition 125-20 the first two weeks of the season.

Sultana ballcarrier Stephan Sanford (11) is dragged down by Paloma Valley defender Ruben Colon (bottom) in the first quarter.

"I didn't expect this at all," said Esposito, who managed to get his starters two quarters of playing time before turning the game over to the reserves. "I watched their scrimmage against Rim of the World and I knew they (Sultana) could do some things.

"But after a while, I started to wonder what all we could do in this game. As it turned out, we could pretty much do anything. I was trying to keep my starters in for at least a half. It's not football strategy at a certain point; it's management strategy, trying to get all the kids in."

Playing their first game of the season, the Sultans appeared to take the lopsided defeat well. There were no accusations of running up the score and no trash talking on either side. Esposito even declined a roughing the kicker penalty on a punt that would've kept possession for the Wildcats, instead turning the ball over to the Sultans with the score 64-0 in the third quarter.

"Honestly, they were very good sports about it," said Boehm. "I have to give them props for that."

Sophomore Demarco Prewitt (right), the Wildcats' No. 1 running back this year, carried the ball only 4 times but made the most of them. He finished with 123 yards rushing and two touchdowns, including an 80-yard TD run near end of the first half. Elliott Smith, a junior, carried 3 times for 80 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Another star of the Paloma Valley offense was wide receiver CJ Parker, who caught 5 passes for 116 yards and two scores. RJ Benz, Michael Valencia and Phillip Hauser also caught touchdown passes.

"He's a dynamic player," Esposito said about Parker. "You just put the ball in the air and tell him to go get it."

That's exactly what happened at the start of the game. After Fred Lundy returned the opening kickoff 43 yards for the Wildcats, Boehm hit Parker for a 37-yard gain. On the next play, Boehm lofted the ball toward the left corner of the end zone. Parker easily beat his defender for the catch and a 13-yard touchdown play.

Paloma Valley forced a Sultana punt and promptly marched 70 yards for another score, a 7-yard TD pass from Boehm to Valencia. On the ensuing kickoff, Sultana's Justin Flores fumbled the ball away and Lundy recovered for the Wildcats at the Sultana 22-yard line. On the very next play, Boehm hit Parker with a short pass and Parker carried the ball into the end zone.

Michael Valencia holds onto the ball and wards off a defender in the end zone for a 7-yard TD play.

Derek Davis' PAT kick gave the Wildcats a 21-0 lead and the rout was on.

Boehm, who was rested most of the preseason because of a sore shoulder, has shown no symptoms of lingering pain the first two games. Neither is he nor any of his teammates getting a big head because of the lopsided victories, he said.

"The coaches are very good at that," Boehm said with a smile. "They keep us in check and focused on each game."

CJ Parker hauls in a 23-yard touchdown pass to beat his defender in the first quarter.

Phillip Hauser heads for the end zone for a touchdown in the second quarter.

Friday night's easy victory gave the Paloma Valley cheerleaders plenty to celebrate.