FOOTBALL: Sobrato goes to 3-1 inside Mount Hamilton Division

In its first year inside the Blossom Valley Athletic League’s Mount Hamilton Division, the Sobrato Bulldogs have been anything but a pushover. Instead with Saturday’s 21-13 win over Pioneer, the Bulldogs sit within striking distance of a league title at 3-1 with three games left to play.
Saturday’s victory was the statement the Bulldogs had been searching for, head coach Nick Borello said.  
“That was the biggest win in our program’s history – our short history,” Borello said.
In a game in which it never trailed, Sobrato used four rushers to run for 260 yards, leading 14-13 at halftime and scoring a fourth-quarter touchdown to give itself some breathing room down the stretch.
Calvin Tipton broke the 100-yard barrier for the first time this season, rushing for 101 yards on 13 carries. He scored the game’s opening touchdown – a 26-yard pass from quarterback Michael Bocksnick – on the Bulldogs’ first drive to get off to a fast start. Tipton recorded a combined 164 yards on the ground and through the air.
“That was Calvin’s breakout game,” Borello said. “He had a great game on offense.”
Pioneer, though, answered right back when Dominic Barnes manuvered through the Bulldogs defense on his way to a 20-yard touchdown run to make the score 7-6.
“He had a couple of big runs, but it wasn’t because we were doing something wrong,” Borello said. “Our guys were there, he just broke a couple of tackles.”
The Bulldogs scored again on a long drive led by Bocksnick, who finished with 30 yards on seven carries, Miguel Redmond (72 yards on 17 carries) and Tipton. After driving 70-yards, Drew Glines extended the Sobrato lead to 14-6 with a 5-yard touchdown run.
Behind Barnes, Pioneer scored again before halftime to pull the Mustangs closer at 14-13.
It was the Bulldogs’ defense, though, that took over the game in the second half. Sobrato never allowed the Mustangs to score again, as the Bulldogs pulled away.
“It was a great defensive performance by the whole team,” Borello said.
The victory now sets the Bulldogs up for a possible playoff run, looming is an important game against first-place, and undefeated, Oak Grove in two weeks. The Eagles sit in first  with a 4-0 record in the Mount Hamilton Division.
If the Bulldogs can win their next three games, Sobrato will sit atop the division in its first year. First, though, the Bulldogs need to beat Independence on Friday.
“This win gives us a good idea where we match up with the league,” Borello said. “We have the ability to play with anyone in this league. This gives our players a lot of confidence moving forward.”
The Bulldogs’ season continues Friday against Independence (3-4, 0-4) at James Lick High School in San Jose.