On Friday, November 3, the Wilcox Chargers shut down their visiting cross-town rival Santa Clara Bruins with a final score of 60-14 to close off the regular season.
The Chargers maintained a substantial lead throughout the game, leading 39-0 until the end of the first half.
Halfway through the third quarter, the Chargers struggled offensively and defensively, turning the ball over on a fourth-down conversion attempt and allowing their opponent to convert for multiple first downs. Strong Safety Adrian Salinas intercepted a pass attempt by Bruins Quarterback Matthew Conklin in the end zone and ran 101 yards to score his first career touchdown to put the Chargers up 46-7. “The pick 6 by [Adrian] Salinas was a big play, especially because [the Bruins] were about to score. It really shifted the momentum of the game,” stated Wilcox Head Coach Paul Rosa.
Senior Running Back Elijah Walker ran the ball into the end zone twice on the night for a combined 141 yards. Walker has been a pivotal player in the team’s running-game-heavy offense. In the 2023-24 season, the third-year varsity player has run for 535 yards and stands at the sixth spot on the league leaderboard of total rushing yards, behind teammate Tyson Bonilla who stands at the top spot.
The Chargers’ defensive unit was a key contributor to their large-margin victory, forcing their opponent to go scoreless in the first and fourth quarters. Both fumbles by the Bruins were recovered by the Chargers, who scored following both recoveries. The Chargers also forced a turnover on three of the Bruins’ fourth-down-conversion attempts.
In their week 10 matchup against the Los Gatos Wildcats, the Chargers struggled to utilize their running game, rushing for a below-average 280 yards. Tonight, however, the team ran for an above-average 422 yards. Six of the Chargers’ nine touchdowns were run into the end zone by five different players.
Despite the handful of penalties against the Chargers, they were able to score a season-high 60 points against their deep-rooted rival – the most points they have scored since their 63-7 win over the Bruins in the 2019-20 season.
With this victory, the Chargers continue their more than two-decade winning streak over the Bruins and wrap up the regular season with a 7-3 record. The Chargers travel to Saint Francis on Friday in round one of the CCS Division I Playoffs.
