Paloma Holds on to Beat Temescal Canyon, Clinch Playoff Berth

Demarco Prewitt had 77 yards rushing on 17 carries in Paloma Valley's victory Friday night.

Story by Zac Force
Photos by David Stovall

Paloma Valley High School clinched a CIF football playoff berth and improved its record to 3-1 in the Sunbelt League (8-1 overall) by beating Temescal Canyon Friday night, 28-21.

What looked at first to be a one-sided game in favor of the Wildcats turned into a close one-possession game as Temescal Canyon rallied from deficits of 14-0 and 21-7.

Paloma Valley quarterback Brent Boehm was unmatched early, scoring all three of the Wildcats' first-quarter touchdowns. The first came on an 11-yard touchdown pass to wideout Michael Valencia and the following two came on runs of 9 and 5 yards.

The host Titans were only able to put up seven first-quarter points but put up another seven in the third quarter. Temescal Canyon cut Paloma's lead to one touchdown again (21-14) going into the fourth quarter after holding the Wildcats scoreless through the second and third quarters.

Senior RJ Benz had 6 catches for 46 yards in the Wildcats' victory.

During Paloma’s scoring drought, the Titans held onto the ball for 17 minutes and 40 seconds on a total of four possessions. Comparatively, over that span, Paloma only had possession of the ball for 7 minutes and 27 seconds, allowing the Titans to keep Paloma Valley’s offense off the field and limiting the damage.

"They held onto the ball for a long time and that hurt us," said Paloma Valley coach Bert Esposito. "We might have played a little bit too conservatively, but that was part of the strategy."

Following a Demarco Prewitt rushing touchdown which gave Paloma a 28-14 lead, the Titans bounced back with another touchdown of their own, keeping the score once again within seven points. With 3:20 left in the game, the Wildcats started another drive that made it all the way to the Temescal Canyon 3-yard-line, where Boehm lost a fumble.

That gave Temescal Canyon just 45 seconds left to try and move the length of the field to tie the game. Four straight passes by quarterback Sean Tremble were incomplete, however, giving Paloma the victory.

"Their backs were up against the wall and they needed to win tonight to make the playoffs," Esposito said. "With everything on the line, they needed this win more than anything. They're a lot better than their record (3-2, 3-6) indicates."

The offenses were pretty evenly matched. Temescal Canyon compiled 329 total yards and Paloma Valley finished with 314 total yards. The way they earned those yards was quite different, however. Paloma had a much more balanced approach with 180 rushing yards and 134 passing yards. Temescal had only 30 passing yards but racked up 298 yards on the ground.

Temescal Canyon had 30:21 time of possession to the 17:39 of Paloma, which proved to be a big factor in the game.

Boehm completed 15 of 17 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. On top of that, he also rushed for 109 yards on 12 attempts with two touchdowns.

Paloma Valley will finish the regular season at 2-7 Lakeside next week.

Paloma Valley defender Felix Bogroff takes down Temescal Canyon running back Michael Erim.

Paloma Valley quarterback Brent Boehm breaks through the pack on his way to a touchdown.

Linebacker Anthony Adcock dives into the heart of the Temescal Canyon offense to make a tackle.

Late Defensive Plays Help Paloma Valley Remain Unbeaten

Demarco Prewitt finds running room for a long gain late in the fourth quarter of Paloma Valley's 35-29 win over Elsinore Friday night.

In a perfect world, the Paloma Valley High School football players would eliminate their penalties and not have to sweat out frantic fourth-quarter drives by the opposition.

But the Wildcats' record is indeed still perfect Friday night after a hard-fought victory, and that was coach Bert Esposito's primary concern.

"We keep finding ways to win," Esposito said after Paloma Valley's 35-29 victory over visiting Elsinore in the Sunbelt League opener for both teams. "I don't care if it's 2-0 or 50-49; it's a win, and the guys did what they had to."

Senior quarterback Brent Boehm passed for 292 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Michael Valencia (right) in the first quarter. Sophomore running back Demarco Prewitt rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns, plus a third TD on a pass reception from Boehm. Yet it was the defense that had to come up biggest when the game was on the line.

The Wildcats (1-0, 6-0) didn't score again after Prewitt's 1-yard touchdown run gave them a 35-17 lead early in the third quarter. Elsinore (0-1, 2-4) fought back with a 4-yard TD run by Davis Peralta and a 20-yard TD pass from quarterback Tommy Wilson to Chris Harris before the quarter was over, cutting Paloma's lead to 35-29 entering the final period.

That's when the Paloma Valley defense came up big. Showing that they had the ability to shake off earlier mistakes and costly penalties, the Wildcat defenders forced two turnovers and stopped Elsinore's final desperation drive in the final minutes to preserve the victory.

Early in the quarter, Fred Lundy intercepted a fourth-down pass by Wilson deep inside Elsinore territory. Paloma Valley was unable to score on the ensuing drive, but the Wildcats got the ball right back on the next possession when Kre Webb recovered an Elsinore fumble near midfield.

Paloma Valley was forced to punt on its next possession, giving Elsinore the ball back with almost four minutes remaining and the chance to pull out a victory with a touchdown and extra point. It never happened, however.

After two straight incompletions against a solid Paloma pass defense, Wilson went to the air again on fourth down along the left sideline. Defensive back Felix Bogroff outjumped the receiver to knock the ball down (left) and give it back to the Wildcats, who killed the remaining time on the clock.

"I read it at the last second and got over there," Bogroff said about the defensive play. "I looked up and just jumped for the ball."

Esposito was pleased with the way his players responded late in the game.

"Those close games against Moreno Valley and Temecula Valley really gave our guys some character," he said. "Tonight they did it again; they found a way to win.

"That's what we needed. Starting out 5-0 is nice, but character building is the key. They made some mistakes earlier, but they didn't sulk and let up. They did what they had to do."

Junior running back Elliott Smith left the game in the third quarter with an injury to his right knee. The extent of his injury was not known Friday night.

Paloma Valley quarterback Brent Boehm turns upfield for a big gain in Friday's win over Elsinore.

Wildcats receiver Phillip Hauser stretches for extra yardage after a pass reception Friday night.

The training staff attends to junior Elliott Smith, who suffered a knee injury.

Prewitt Has Big Night in Paloma Valley's 56-12 Victory

Demarco Prewitt turns upfield on one of his four touchdown runs in Paloma Valley's victory Friday night. (Photos by David Stovall)

By Zac Force

Sophomore running back Demarco Prewitt rushed for 212 yards and four touchdowns and passed for another TD Friday night to lead Paloma Valley High to a 56-12 victory over West Valley in the Wildcats' homecoming game.

Prewitt compiled his rushing yardage on just 16 carries, giving him an average of over 13 yards per carry.

Prewitt gave all the credit to his offensive linemen, saying he could not achieve what he did without them.

"I am so grateful for my line," he said. "I have the best offensive line anyone could ask for."

Coach Bert Esposito said that Prewitt’s "future is gold."

Paloma Valley had a slow start, scoring only 7 points in the first quarter, but quickly turned it around, scoring 28 points in the second quarter and 21 points in the third. The Wildcats' defense also played well, sacking West Valley quarterback Mike Cordova (above) and controlling the line of scrimmage.

Paloma Valley quadrupled West Valley’s rushing with a total of 337 yards to 82 yards. The passing was closer, with Paloma passing for 221 yards to West Valley’s 293 yards. West Valley had more than triple Paloma’s passing attempts, however; the Mustangs threw the ball 51 times. Paloma racked up a total of 558 yards on 51 plays while West Valley had 375 total yards on 80 plays.

Paloma quarterback Brent Boehm had 170 yards passing and three touchdowns with no interceptions while his counterpart, Cordova, had one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown with three interceptions. One of Boehm's TD passes covered 15 yards to RJ Benz (right).

The biggest advantage for West Valley was that it only accumulated 40 yards on six penalties while Paloma was flagged for 16 penalties for a total of 146 yards. A large part of Paloma’s penalties and penalty yards came from defensive pass interference calls.

Prewitt's touchdown pass covered 47 yards to Fred Lundy, who carried it into the end zone for a 27-0 Paloma Valley lead (below). It was never a contest after that.

Esposito believed it was "a good test and they played us tough. Hats off to them; the game was a lot closer than the score indicated."

"They threw the ball over 50 times and their quarterback played very well," Esposito continued. "Number eight was the man out there. He was incredibly difficult to stop."

No. 8 was wide receiver Elijah Brown, who caught eight passes for 103 yards and a touchdown for West Valley. Fellow wide receiver Markus Cordova caught seven passes for 102 yards.

The Wildcats scored touchdowns on eight of their 11 possessions.

Paloma Valley's next game is at home next Friday against Moreno Valley.

Quarterback Brent Boehm prepares to hand off to Elliott Smith early in Friday's game.

Sabrina Carrillo, shown here with her escort, was introduced as Homecoming Queen at halftime.

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.

Paloma Valley Dominates on Both Sides of Ball in Opener, 61-6

By Zac Force

The Paloma Valley High Wildcats won on the road in a 61-6 blowout against the San Bernardino Cardinals Friday night. Paloma Valley had a dominating performance from both its offense and defense in its season opener.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Wildcats held San Bernardino to just 75 total offensive yards and no offensive touchdowns. An even more striking part of the game was Paloma Valley’s pass defense, which actually held the Cardinals to negative passing yards. They had -8 passing yards in the game and were intercepted three times.

On offense, Paloma Valley compiled 370 total yards. Demarco Prewitt led Wildcat rushers with 109 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries.

Paloma Valley marched right down the field with ease on its first possession. Quarterback Brent Boehm showed great poise and full control of the field as he completed a 27-yard pass to Elliot Smith and had multiple rushes for 35 yards before finally connecting with Michael Valencia for an 8-yard touchdown.

The first two drives of the game were not as pretty for San Bernardino; both times, quarterback Nico Forbes was promptly intercepted by C.J. Parker. Both of Parker’s interceptions were returned for touchdowns.

Just like their previous possession, the Wildcats flew down the field on their next drive, this time on the back of Prewitt, who rushed for 60 yards on two carries on the drive. Boehm then found Valencia again for another quick touchdown.

The team as a whole boasted a positive 4-1 turnover ratio. The Wildcats intercepted the ball three times and recovered one fumble, while throwing only one interception. Even though they only had one fumble recovery, they did force a total of four fumbles.

San Bernardino’s only points came from an interception return for a touchdown by Keon Stephens in the third quarter. The extra point was blocked.

“We just outplayed and outperformed them tonight, especially physically,” said head coach Bert Esposito. “We were well prepared and played extremely hard. We played harder than them and that helped us win.”

Whether on the ground, through the air, or by brute force defense, the Wildcats were successful. Even though this was their first game of the year, it could be a glimpse of the potentially dominating team the Wildcats can become this season.

Paloma Valley Opens Football Season at San Bernardino

Sophomore running back Demarco Prewitt will lead the way for Paloma Valley's rushing attack.

Led by a third-year starting quarterback and a standout receiver corps, the Paloma Valley High School football team opens the 2013 season at San Bernardino at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Veteran coach Bert Esposito is happy to welcome back senior Brent Boehm (left) for a third year in charge of the Wildcats' high-powered passing attack. His playing time was limited in preseason workouts due to a sore shoulder, but Boehm looked sharp in practice on Wednesday and appears ready to pick up where he left off last fall.

"We took it easy on Brent and didn't have him throw much at all the first two and a half weeks," Esposito said, "but he'll be ready to go on Friday."

Last season, Boehm (6-0, 205) passed for 2,329 yards and 22 touchdowns in leading the Wildcats to a 9-4 overall record and an appearance in the CIF Central Division semifinals. His versatility and pinpoint accuracy to several receivers once again makes Paloma Valley an offensive threat.

Boehm's primary target, C.J. Parker (6-2, 195), might not play in the opener because of a shoulder injury, but he should once again make a big impact this season. Last year, Parker caught 25 passes for 437 yards and 4 touchdowns. Anthony Smith (5-10, 160) is the speediest of the receivers, but he will be held out of Friday's game with a twisted ankle.

That means seniors Michael Valencia (6-0, 165) and Phillip Hauser (5-7, 165) could play key roles against San Bernardino, which was outclassed in last year's opener at Paloma Valley, 54-6.

"Any time you get off to a fast start, it's to your advantage," said Esposito, whose team opened last year 5-0. "That's what we want to do, put it to other teams. But San Bernardino has the athletes who can make it a game."

Paloma Valley's rushing attack will be led by sophomore Demarco Prewitt (5-10, 185). He got only two carries for the varsity as a freshman last year but has shown confidence and ability in preseason workouts. Junior Elliott Smith (5-6, 150, at left) will see action in the backfield in addition to at receiver, along with Anthony Smith when he returns from injury.

Senior defensive end Kre Webb (6-0, 230) will lend stability to a defensive unit that is "coming along," according to Esposito.

"The bottom line will be game experience," the coach said. "We may give up some sophomore mistakes in the beginning."

Senior R.J. Benz (6-0, 220) will be the leader of the linebacker corps.

Following Friday's opener on the road, Paloma Valley will have three consecutive home games against Sultana, West Valley and Moreno Valley.

Paloma Valley Opens Football Practice With Standout Potential

Linemen take part in drills Tuesday on the first day of practice at Paloma Valley High School.

Returning some key starters from last season's high-powered offense, the Paloma Valley High School football team opened practice this week with high hopes for another standout season.

Last year, the Wildcats opened the season 5-0, survived the loss of several starting linemen during the Sunbelt League season, and made a playoff run all the way to the CIF Central Division semifinals, finishing the season 9-4 overall. The return of starting quarterback Brent Boehm for a third season and a group of talented wide receivers gives the Wildcats the potential for another dangerous passing attack.

"I think this will be the best offense we've ever had," Coach Bert Esposito said Tuesday after the team's first practice in pads. "Besides Brent, we have four other quarterbacks who are very good. We call them our 'stable.' Plus, we're six or seven deep at receiver. We feel we can throw the ball anywhere on the field and someone will be there to catch it."

Boehm (right) is not throwing in early workouts because of mild tendinitis, giving extra reps to quarterbacks Jake Newton, Michael Valencia and Pohaku Kakeaku-Paiva. Any of them could be a capable backup to Boehm, who passed for 2,329 yards and 22 touchdowns last fall.

The receiver corps includes C.J. Parker, who caught 25 passes for 437 yards and 4 TDs last year; and Anthony Smith, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound speedster who specialized in the 100-meter dash for the Wildcats last spring. Other receivers expected to play key roles are Valencia, Eliott Smith, Phillip Hauser, Lance Kreutzer and Fred Lundy.

Paloma Valley had a successful passing league season, culminating in the championship of the recent Lancaster Tournament. Esposito credits the program's nearly year-round training regimen for its success once the season starts.

"Everyone picks their own 'dead' period," Esposito said about the three weeks CIF requires teams to do nothing but have the weight room open. "We give them the last week of school, then three weeks off before passing league. By the end of the school year the kids are spent, so why fight it? The passing league helps prepare us, but now it's time for real football."

The Wildcats are taking part in two-a-day practices, working out early in the morning and early evening, to avoid the heat. Emphasis in the early workouts is on discipline, such as moving special teams units on and off the field in a timely manner.

"You have to set the tone early," Esposito said. "At some point, if you wait too long as a teacher, you're not going to change anything they do. If you don't set the tone early, it will catch up to you."

As Esposito puts his players through drills in the early going, he also is keeping an eye on the development of a strong running back group. David Solis (215 carries, 1,838 yards, 24 TDs) has graduated, but sophomore Demarco Prewitt (left) appears ready to step into the starting role. Parker, Anthony Smith and Elliott Smith also figure to see playing time.

"They're not big power backs, but that's not our style anyway," Esposito said.

Much of the offensive line is new, but overall the Wildcats are bigger than last year. The defensive line returns senior Kre Webb (6-0, 230), whom Esposito says has gained about 25 pounds.

"We're bigger up front than last year," Esposito said. "What it comes down to on defense are the linebackers."

Middle linebacker R.J. Benz will play a key role in that unit.

The secondary features Lundy and Parker at cornerback; Flex Bogroff at strong safety; and Valencia at free safety.

The Wildcats open the season Aug. 30 at San Bernardino High. Their home opener is Sept. 6 vs. Sultana.

Special teams is emphasized in early workouts. Here the field goal unit gets in some work.

Coach Bert Esposito (center) addresses his team after practice.