The Morgan Hill Raiders opened the 2011 Pop Warner season Sept. 4 at the Outdoor Sports Center, defending their home field after a very successful year that rewarded the program with a move to the prestigious Division I. The Midget Raiders took off where their 2010 Super Bowl run ended, beating the Monterey Jets 34-15
The Morgan Hill Raiders opened the 2011 Pop Warner season Sept. 4 at the Outdoor Sports Center, defending their home field after a very successful year that rewarded the program with a move to the prestigious Division I.
The Midget Raiders took off where their 2010 Super Bowl run ended, beating the Monterey Jets 34-15.
Morgan Hill’s offensive line of Jonathan Freitas, Pedro Aragon, Noe Garcia, Anthony Ditta, Joseph Criado, Jonathan Trujillo and Eric Swensen opened up holes for Zach Almah, who scored three touchdowns and added two extra points. Almah gained 114 yards, while teammate Ryan Quadros totaled 30 and a touchdown. Jared Luner added 47 yards and a touchdown, and quarterback Mitch Conforti rushed for 47, also for the Raiders.
Morgan Hill Coaches were pleased with the quarterback play of Daniel DiPieatro, who ran the offense most of the night without a glitch. The defensive play was tremendous, led by Quadros, Ditta, Trujillo, Jacob Saldivar and the rest of the defensive line. Rece Short and Conforti shut down Monterey’s passing game as highlighted by several pass breakups and an interception.
Coach Freitas said, “Overall, we’re pleased with the effort the boys put out and are looking forward to playing Campbell next week.”
Earlier the Pee Wee Raiders also notched a victory, 32-6, in their season opener against Monterey.
The game started as a closely contested matchup, with each team trading touchdowns. It wasn’t until the second quarter that the Raiders were able to gain separation, scoring two touchdowns before halftime. Halfback Eric Payne started the scoring early for the Raiders by rumbling into the end zone twice. Tailback Jacob Ryder highlighted the day with three scores on carries of more than 40 yards before finishing the afternoon with 180.
“Our blockers and offensive line really opened great holes today,” Ryder said.
On defensive side of the ball, the Raiders were stifling, keeping the Jets under 70 yards for the day. Cornerback Alex Cornejo had the game’s only interception and batted down two passes.
The rest of the Raiders defense was led by linebackers Joey Barnes, Angelo Knight, Bailey Schroeder, along with defensive ends Cade Hall, Niko Taylor and Matt Douglass. Others who contributed were Wyatt Gold, Cody Paresa, Riley Owen, Isaiah Barajas, Ethan Crawford and Elias Moreno.
The Junior Pee Wee Raiders notched a convincing victory over the Jets as well, winning 30-12.
The Raiders converted a fourth-and-22 on their opening drive, as quarterback Jonathan Singleton threw a 27-yard bomb to Ryan Payne. Morgan Hill went on to score four touchdowns on runs by Cole Davis. Payne added three extra points in four attempts.
In the Mitey Mites division, Morgan Hill’s Presley Lara scored the team’s only touchdown on a beautifully executed 52-yard reverse in a 24-6 loss to the South Valley Grizzlies.
“That’s my first touchdown for the Raiders,” Lara shouted afterward.
All Raiders squads return to the Outdoor Sports Center for games, starting at 8 a.m. Sunday. For more information visit www.morganhillraiders.com.
