DUBLIN — One year, one championship. For Joe Wingert, it’s not a bad start to his head coaching tenure at Monte Vista.
Behind a stout defensive effort, Monte Vista defeated Clayton Valley 24-10 on Friday night at Dublin High School to win the North Coast Section Division II championship, the program’s first section title since beating the Najee Harris-led Antioch Panthers in 2016.
The Mustangs’ defense not only forced four turnovers — including three straight to start the night — but limited the Ugly Eagles’ star senior running back Jhadis Luckey to 69 yards on 17 carries. A year ago, Luckey ran for 317 yards and five touchdowns against Monte Vista while playing for California.
“That’s all we talked about all week,” Wingert said of Luckey. “We constantly stressed it (in practice).”
Justin Grisham and Grant Maina, a pair of Monte Vista juniors, had an interception apiece while Grisham recovered one of Monte Vista’s two forced fumbles. The only touchdown that the Mustangs allowed was on an 85-yard punt return by Clayton Valley’s Andres Watts.
Offensively, senior running back Torin Dunphy totaled two touchdowns and 129 yards on 30 carries while junior wide receiver Caden Boscia threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Antony Evans on a trick play.
“The kids played so well,” Wingert said. “We’re always working on causing turnovers and fumbles in practice and we had three early on, which was huge to get us out in front. They finished all the way through. I had a couple bad calls by me in the second half. If we cleaned it up, we might’ve sealed the deal earlier. But they played hard, so I’m really proud of them.”
“We’re run, run, run, run, run to set up the pass, and we were just chasing points,” said Clayton Valley head coach Nick Tisa said. “I’m proud of my guys. We’re here. I’m blessed for the opportunity. I’m proud to be head coach here. I’m grateful for the administration and coach (Tim) Murphy putting faith in me to get us back right where we’re at. We’re happy with the season. Obviously, things could’ve been better for the game, but we fought hard to the end.”
By the end of the first quarter, Monte Vista had a commanding 17-0 lead thanks to a defense that forced three consecutive turnovers to set up three consecutive scores.
Clayton Valley began the game with the ball after Monte Vista won the coin toss and deferred, but the Mustangs immediately got the ball with great field position when Grisham intercepted a pass over the middle. With the ball on the Ugly Eagles’ 18-yard-line, Monte Vista needed just four plays to find the end zone as Dunphy scored on a three-yard rush.
Then, déjà vu.
On Clayton Valley’s next possession, Monte Vista forced a fumble that Grisham recovered and returned to the Ugly Eagles’ 20-yard line. The Mustangs promptly turned the turnover into more points, this time with the help of some trickery. Quarterback Ian Ondricek threw a backwards pass to Boscia, who then threw a 20-yard pass to a wide open Evans for a touchdown that gave Monte Vista a 14-0 lead.
Clayton Valley’s third possession ended in a third turnover, this one coming on its first play from scrimmage. Monte Vista began another series with more great field position, and while the Mustangs weren’t able to find the end zone, junior Ben Kerrigan knocked down a 21-yard field goal and expanded their lead to 17-0.
The Ugly Eagles’ finally found something of a rhythm on its fourth possession, one that began with Luckey returning the kickoff for 58 yards and pushing the ball into Monte Vista territory for the first time all game. Clayton Valley marched down to Monte Vista’s 21-yard line, but Monte Vista forced a turnover on downs on fourth-and-two.
Following the stop, Monte Vista began its fourth possession with 17 seconds remaining in the first quarter. That possession wouldn’t end until 3:15 was remaining in the second quarter.
Monte Vista proceeded to coordinate a grueling, methodical 18-play, 80-yard drive that lasted nine minutes and two seconds, one that ended in a one-yard score by Dunphy. Monte Vista not only expanded its lead to 24-0, but ate away valuable game time that Clayton Valley couldn’t afford to lose.
Clayton Valley went into the locker room with three points as senior kicker Brady Emry knocked down a 35-yard field goal as the second quarter expired, but Monte Vista owned a commanding 24-3 lead going into the break.
The second half was defined by defense with Maina and Clayton Valley’s Dion Lew-Beverley each recording interceptions, but Clayton Valley found the end zone for the first time with 6:05 remaining in the fourth when Watts returned a punt for an 85-yard touchdown to trim Monte Vista’s lead to 24-10.
Watts’ explosive return was a much-needed jolt for Clayton Valley, but it was too little, too late for the Ugly Eagles. Despite holding Monte Vista scoreless in the second half, the 21-point halftime deficit was too much to overcome.
“We actually said before the game that 24 points would win the game,” Tisa said, “and that’s what won the game.”
