RANCHO CUCAMONGA — Led by an explosive offense, No. 1 seeded Rancho Cucamonga secured a victory over Edison, 35-14, in the opening round of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs.
Senior running back Trey Wilson started the game with a bang, returning the opening kickoff 93 yards before being stopped at the five-yard line. He would score on the next play.
Rancho Cucamonga would force a fumble on the next defensive stop, but a missed field goal led to an 80-yard drive by Edison, led by junior running back Julius Gillick who bulldozed his way 50 yards on the ground before finishing the drive with a 30-yard touchdown reception.
Tied at the end of the first quarter, Rancho Cucamonga senior receiver Jonah Dawson made his presence known, making an acrobatic catch on a corner route touchdown on a pass from junior quarterback Emiliano Villareal to regain the lead.
In a big shift, Edison fumbled the ball on Rancho Cucamonga’s one-yard line on the following drive that led to another touchdown for Dawson on a 56-yard pass from Villareal. Dawson would finish the night with 108 yards receiving on four receptions, with the two touchdowns, while Villareal would throw for 174 yards and two touchdowns on 13 completions.
“Jonah’s speed is top notch,” said Rancho Cucamonga head coach Brian Hildebrand. “(Emiliano and Jonah) are on the same page. You see the communication that they have and an understanding of what they’re looking at and how to try and exploit it.”
Edison would respond again on the next drive, again led by Gillick who would finish the night with 115 yards rushing on 23 attempts, with junior quarterback Save Niumata finding senior receiver Mason York in the corner of the end zone. It would be the final time Edison would find the end zone.
“We were running the ball pretty well and they made some adjustments,” said Edison head coach Jeff Grady. “(Gillick) is one of the better backs I’ve ever known. He just runs so hard and is so physical and he maintained that for 11 games. He was the same guy every week. He’s an impressive guy and I’m looking forward to seeing him next year.”
Rancho Cucamonga would hold Edison scoreless in the second half, while scoring twice and securing the victory and spot in the quarterfinals.
“Edison responded and our guys just hung in there,” said Hildebrand. “Nice battle but I think we handled business and did what we were supposed to do.”
Rancho Cucamonga will host Murrieta Valley next week, a rematch from both teams’ season opener in which Rancho Cucamonga squeaked out a 29-27 victory.
“That game was a nailbiter,” Hildebrand said. “We expect a battle no matter what. For us, we’re battle tested and ready for anything.”
