Few bright spots for Sobrato in 49-20 loss
SAN JOSE — Sobrato High School was welcomed back to the Santa Teresa Division football with a reminder of how its last stint went two years ago.
The Bulldogs are not in the West Valley Division anymore. That much was clear after the Independence 76ers ran their multilook offense at will, forced four takeaways on defense and even squeezed in a special teams touchdown during their 49-20 romp Friday at Independence High School.
It was Sobrato’s worst regular-season loss since Nov. 15, 2008, when the Bulldogs wrapped up a 1-6 finish in the Santa Teresa with a 56-27 loss to Branham.
“They were just bigger, stronger, and we just didn’t have it,” SHS coach Nick Borello said. “These things happen. Life’s going to throw these things at you, and how you respond tells what kind of person you are.
“We’re going to keep playing. Tomorrow, another week begins.”
Coming off a 21-14 El Toro Bowl loss to Live Oak, the Bulldogs (2-2 overall, 0-1 league) had two weeks to prepare for Independence but did not look ready for the 76ers’ complex schemes and physical play.
Tony Ulu passed for 78 yards and rushed for 54 with three total touchdowns, and Robert Rodriguez carried 16 times for 139 yards and two scores as well for the 76ers (3-1, 1-1), one of the favorites to win the Santa Teresa title.
Independence sacked Bulldogs quarterback Jerry Jacob nine times and had fumbled recoveries by linebacker Michael Grant, defensive back Anthony Cintron and defensive tackle Lynn Bui, plus Jimmy Nguyen’s interception at the end of the first half.
Cintron also had a back-breaking 93-yard kick-off return for a touchdown after Steven Villarreal dove for a 9-yard touchdown pass from Jacob to put Sobrato on the board 14-7 in the second quarter.
“I don’t know what happened tonight. It just all fell apart fast,” said Jacob, who completed 4 of 10 for 60 yards and two touchdown passes. “They were blitzing all night, and we couldn’t get anything going on offense.”
Obi Mbonu was one of few bright spots for Sobrato. The 5-foot-8, 185-pound junior rushed for 95 yards and a 3-yard score in 18 attempts and also found the end zone on a 14-yard screen pass from Jacob late in the third quarter.
Villarreal, a 5-foot-9 junior wideout, had three catches for 46 yards, and Simon Schmidt and Tyler Lerma recovered fumbles for the Bulldogs.
The 76ers were in complete control from start to finish, though, preserving a win that Norm Brown said he took no personal reward in. The Independence coach was an assistant at SHS under his brother Dan’s staff until 2008 when the Browns were not asked to return for a third season.
Sobrato beat Brown’s 76ers 31-21 the next fall in the teams’ previous meeting.
“It’s one game just like any other. We’re taking each of them one at a time,” said Brown, whose current team outgained his former one 387-165. “Sobrato played with a lot of heart tonight. I wish them the best.”
Independence seized momentum on the second play from scrimmage when Grant stripped the ball from tailback Drew Glines, and Cintron recovered it at the SHS 30-yard line. Rodriguez scored on a 5-yard dive seven plays later.
The Bulldogs went three and out on their next drive, and Independence pushed ahead with a 5-yard touchdown run by Nguyen, who started at halfback and cornerback.
Sobrato dialed up Mbonu on a steady stream of inside runs early in the second quarter and was able to reach the IHS 5. The Bulldogs fumbled the ball away but regained possession on the next play with Schmidt’s recovery at the 9, setting up Jacob’s touchdown pass to Villarreal.
“We kept fighting. We never gave up,” SHS lineman William Puna said. “We needed to prepare better for this game. We needed to play strong the whole way.”
Cintron’s big return and Ulu’s 3-yard touchdown sneak made it 29-7 with 2:39 left before halftime, but the 76ers weren’t done yet. They got the ball back with 47 seconds left and struck again when Ulu found Cintron over the middle for a 15-yard gain, and Cintron broke loose toward the sideline and sprinted away for a 68-yard score.
After Nguyen’s interception, Sobrato couldn’t get into halftime fast enough.
“It was like a nightmare,” Jacob said.
Independence piled on the scoring in the second half with a 25-yard sweep by Rodriguez and a 2-yard sneak by Ulu.
The 76ers added injury to insult by knocking Sobrato lineman Skyler King (ankle) and tight end/linebacker Alex Hagiperos (concussion) out of the game.
“Everything that could have gone wrong did,” Villarreal said. “We’d like to have this game back, but they’d still be pretty tough to beat.”
The Bulldogs host Lincoln next Saturday.
