CHULA VISTA CHULA VISTA — For one team, the monkey is off their back. For the other, it’s back to the drawing board.
In a battle of winless Division III teams, Otay Ranch got four touchdowns from Kenyon Burnett to down visiting San Diego High 49-28 Friday night in a non-league contest.
“I’m a little relieved,” said Otay Ranch head coach Brad Burton. “But, more than anything I’m glad we’ve turned the corner.”
They rounded the turn early, scoring on two of their first three possessions.
Burnett got it going, pulling down a wide-open from Tyler Geasland midway through the opening quarter for a 7-0 lead.
The Mustangs (1-4) doubled their advantage after Jason Haug’s interception set them up at Otay Ranch at the Cavers’ 24. Five plays later, Geasland scored on a quarterback sneak from the 2 with 1:00 left in the quarter.
Neither team managed much in the second quarter, but it was after halftime the fireworks began.
Five minutes into the second half, Burnett walked in from a yard out to up the lead to 21-0.
Igniting the fuse was the ing combination of the Cavers Casey Kotcher-Smith to Jayden Wade. Kotcher-Smith would throw them up and Wade would go and get them. The combination connected on its first of three scores on the night, a four-yarder with 5:40 left in the third quarter.
Otay Ranch reopened the 21-point advantage of Burnett third TD of the night, again going in standing from the 6. It took San Diego (0-4) just three plays to answer back. Two completions set up Eric Walker-Forney’s 14 yard TD run with a second left in the third quarter to cut the gap to 28-14.
The point-trading continued. Big Oluwatolani Osinfolarin powered in from the 14, only to be followed by the second Kotcher-Smith-to-Wade jump ball TD from the 9.
But the score Burnett will the most followed.
The senior took a simple counter, was swarmed by groups of defenders twice and broke free for a 63 TD with 5:40 left to play.
“They just falling off me one-by-one,” Burnett explained. “That has to be my best TD ever.”
Each team would trade TDs in the last two minutes, Osinfolarin scored his second from the 4 with 1:21 left. Three plays later, the Cavers again found the end zone with Wade pulling down completions of 36 and the 20-yard score.
“I really like how physical our O-Line was playing and our defense was flying around,” said Burton. “Kenyon ran hard as well. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but we stayed focused and got the win.”
Burton pointed out the outstanding play of Diego Martinez in the trenches.
“I watch a lot of film and pay attention to the guys in front of me,” explained Martinez. “I saw their offensive guard tipping off when he was going to pull to I followed him.”
Otay Ranch 49, San Diego 28
San Diego — 0 0 14 14 – 28
Otay Ranch — 14 0 14 14 – 49
OR — Burnett 15 from Geasland (Farias kick)
OR — Geasland 2 run (Farias kick)
OR — Burnett 1 run (Farias kick)
SD — Wade 4 from Kotcher-Smith (Morales kick)
OR — Burnett 8 run (Farias kick)
SD — Walker-Forney 14 run (Morales kick)
OR — Osinfolarin 9 run (Farias kick)
SD — Wade 9 from Kotcher-Smith (Morales kick)
OR — Burnett 63 run (Farias kick)
OR — Osinfolarin 4 run (Farias kick)
SD — Wade 20 from Kotcher-Smith (Morales kick)
