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.

Boehm Leads Paloma to Wild Victory at Temecula Valley, 49-34

Paloma Valley quarterback Brent Boehm picks up yardage against Temecula Valley in the Wildcats' win. (Photos by David Stovall)

It turned out to be a bit closer than they wanted, but the Paloma Valley Wildcats had more than enough offense to remain unbeaten at 5-0 with a 49-34 victory at Temecula Valley Friday night.

Quarterback Brent Boehm passed for 209 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two more scores for the Wildcats, who piled up 450 yards total offense. Junior running back Elliott Smith (below) scored two TDs, including a 9-yard TD in the final moments, helping Paloma put away the victory in a game it lead by just eight points (42-34) with 4:58 remaining.

The host Golden Bears (2-2) stayed in the game at that point when quarterback Kyle Plantier hit Griffin Doran with a 14-yard touchdown pass, followed by a two-point conversion. Paloma Valley responded, however, driving 40 yards in seven plays on the next possession, capped by the TD run by Smith.

Plantier passed for 253 yards and four touchdowns, but it wasn't enough for the Golden Bears in this nonleague shootout.

In addition to his 122 yards and two touchdowns rushing, Boehm threw two TD passes to Michael Valencia (27, 38 yards) and one to RJ Benz (11 yards) in the first half for the Wildcats.

Defensive back Felix Bogroff had a game game for Paloma Valley as well, leading the way with 11 tackles.

Touchdown passes by Boehm to Valencia and Benz and PAT kicks gave Paloma Valley a 14-0 lead in the early going, but Temecula Valley fought back. Plantier responded with two touchdown passes to Kumar Kilambi, but two-point conversion attempts failed following both scores, leaving the Wildcats with a 14-12 lead.

Fred Lundy made sure Paloma Valley kept the lead for good on the ensuing kickoff, however. He returned the kick 92 yards for a score, giving the Wildcats a 21-12 lead after the PAT.

After a bye week next week, Paloma Valley opens Sunbelt League play at home Oct. 11 against Elsinore High.

A crowd of Paloma Valley defenders wrap up Temecula Valley running back Garrison Flores.

Paloma Athletes of Week: Boehm, Simon, Flores, Jenkins, Rivas

Paloma Valley High School Athletes of the Week (from left): Brent Boehm, Johannah Simon, Samantha Flores, Connor Jenkins, Clarrissa Rivas.

The early success of Paloma Valley High School athletics this school year is evident in the latest selection by coaches of the Menifee 24/7 Paloma Valley Athletes of the Week.

The football team's representative on this week's list of honorees is quarterback Brent Boehm. The senior has led the Wildcats to a 3-0 start, passing for 520 yards and 10 touchdowns and displaying exemplary leadership.

"Brent is a stalwart athlete here at Paloma," said his coach, Bert Esposito. "He is one of the best QBs in the area and had another outstanding week last week. Beyond his stats is a kid who leads by example and who so many other kids follow. He takes his role seriously as a leader on the team and never lets it get to his head about all his successes."

Even though the Paloma Valley football team has outscored the opposition 181-32, Boehm says he and his teammates have no trouble keeping their success in perspective.

"We know the competition keeps getting better every week," he said. "We have to stay consistent and always work hard."

Boehm hopes to earn a Division I scholarship and study sports broadcasting or journalism.

Johannah Simon led the girls volleyball team in assists with 28 at the recent Desert Classic tournament at San Bernardino Valley College. In her first year on the varsity team, the junior setter plays a valuable role in the Wildcats' offense.

"I take the second ball," Simon said about her pivotal role in setting up the front row for the kill on the third allowable hit each turn. "Without a good set, you won't get a kill. You try to keep the ball two feet off the net, not too high, about arm height."

In addition to playing volleyball all three years of high school, she has played three years of club volleyball.

Cross country runner Samantha Flores achieved a milestone feat in the recent Bronco Round-Up meet in Escondido, running the second fastest two-mile time in school history (11:51). That was achieved on a hilly course in the heat of summer.

"I pretty much stayed near the front," Flores said. "I was kind of confused when I looked around. It was like, 'Why am I here?' I was really shocked to be in that position."

Flores said her father motivated her to get into cross country running. A senior, she has competed all four years.

Connor Jenkins earned a spot on the varsity boys cross country team with a strong performance at the Bronco Round-Up. He has competed in running events since the third grade and dropped soccer and tennis early in his high school career to focus on cross country and track.

"My motivation is my teammates," Jenkins said. "I've never had that much natural talent at running, but I keep working my way up."

Jenkins' coach, Joe Ellett, is impressed with Jenkins' improvement.

"Connor has dedicated himself to the training and to improvement in the classroom," Ellett said. "His running form isn't perfect, but he has determined not to let anything hold him back."

Clarrissa Rivas is a senior who has performed well for the golf team in its matches this season. Working hard in practice and competition at the Wildcats' home course at Menifee Lakes Country Club, Rivas is shooting consistently in the low 50s for nine holes.

"I'm trying to get into the low 40s," she said. "My scores are getting better each week."

Rivas became interested in golf by watching her father and grandfather. She is the only girl in her family to take up the sport.

The honorees each received a certificate from Menifee 24/7 and an Athlete of the Week T-shirt from the Pomona Valley athletic department.

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 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.