In case it needed any convincing, the Sobrato High football team
found out why Seaside was a Central Coast Section title runner-up
last year and is considered among the top teams in the area.
Seaside – In case it needed any convincing, the Sobrato High football team found out why Seaside was a Central Coast Section title runner-up last year and is considered among the top teams in the area.
After a closely played first quarter, the Spartans exploded with 31 points in the third quarter and pulled away with a 59-0 win over the Bulldogs.
“It was a rough one,” coach Dan Brown said. “They’re very much more athletic and faster.”
Sobrato (0-1-1) began the game with a spark. The Bulldogs went three-and-out on their first drive, losing seven yards in the process, but the defense rose to the occasion.
A lateral on the first play hit the turf, with Seaside recovering for a six-yard loss, and after an incompletion, Sobrato senior safety Michael Wilson intercepted Spartans quarterback Ty Powell and returned it 22 yards to the Bulldogs’ 42.
Unfortunately for Sobrato, it would be all Seaside after that. After another three-and-out, the Spartans star running back/receiver Michael Avila finished off a drive by scoring untouched from five yards out.
Seaside scored on its next three possessions and its final touchdown of the half came from its defense. Bulldogs’ sophomore quarterback Alex Meldrum was under heavy pressure in the end zone and attempted to get off a throw, but his pass went right into the hands of a Spartans’ lineman, who walked into the end zone for a 34-0 lead.
Sobrato showed some signs of life and continued to fight late in the fourth quarter. Sophomore running back Anthony Zizzo broke a 30-yard run and carried a bulk of the load as the Bulldogs moved into Seaside territory and reached as far as the 7-yard line. That drive eventually stalled, but Zizzo finished the day with a team-high 47 yards on eight carries and was one of several positives signs for the future of Sobrato’s program.
In addition to Zizzo and Meldrum, fellow sophomores Nick Hagiperos and Tim Cavanaugh are playing significant minutes for Sobrato, which is awaiting the return of another sophomore, Erick Levell, who is out with a broken thumb. Meanwhile, a 16-10 victory over Seaside for the junior varsity team is proof that the Bulldogs’ future could be bright.
“We’re definitely getting some experience,” Meldrum said. “We’ve got some good sophomores (on JV) that can come up and play.”
Brown saw the final minutes of the JV win and was on the sidelines helping direct the defense as it made its final stand to hold off the Spartans.
“That was a fun one. They just kept playing.,” Brown said. “You can tell they kind of have a little swagger about them.”
Notes: Wilson left the game late Friday after taking a hit to the head. He appeared shaken up on the sidelines and was eventually placed on a stretcher and taken by ambulance to Monterey Hospital. He was diagnosed with a mild concussion and released later that night. He will be re-evaluated Wednesday with hopes of being cleared for Saturday’s home game against The King’s Academy.
