All season long, San Bernardino Valley College football coach Daniel Algattas has been preaching to his players to have patience and believe in the system.
Saturday night, the Wolverines bought in. And they knocked off state No. 7 San Diego Mesa in the process.
The Wolverines turned two first-quarter interceptions into a quick 14-0 lead, and led 28-7 at the half en route to a 37-29 victory over the Olympians at SBVC Stadium.
After stalling out near midfield on the game's opening drive, Daniel Fortune punted the ball away, and it rolled inside the Mesa 1, where it was downed. Three plays later, Riley Richard picked off a Gunnar Gray pass at the Mesa 9, giving the Wolverines an early chance. But the Olympians' defense held the Wolverines out on three straight plays, forcing a fourth and goal from the 2. Quarterback Cooper Justice kept the ball on a sweep to the left, and he snuck in the front corner of the end zone. Julian Pan's kick made it 7-0.
On the second play of the next Mesa drive, it was Damon Knighten who stepped in front of a Gray pass at the Olympians' 40, giving SBVC the ball inside Mesa territory again. After a penalty pushed the Wolverines back to their own 45, the offense took over. Justice hit Austin Bacher for a 19-yard gain on first down. Then, two plays later, Justice hit Kavan Johnson for 35-yard score, and SBVC led 14-0 less than halfway through the first quarter.
The next SBVC drive let the offense grind. Starting at their own 20, the Wolverines got the drive extended thanks to a personal foul penalty after a sack. Then, they converted on a fourth-and-6 from the Mesa 28 to extend the drive. Bacher capped off the 13-play, 80-yard drive with a 2-yard run, and the Wolverines led 21-0 after one.
Mesa got on the board with its opening drive of the second quarter, as Gray hooked up with Cael Patterson for a 41-yard score. But SBVC answered with another long drive. Starting at their own 4, the Wolverines went 96 yards in 14 plays over 5 minutes, 56 seconds. It was capped off with a 5-yard pass play from Justice to Eric Wells.
San Diego Mesa rallied in the second half, but could only get within seven in the third quarter, before the SBVC offense rebounded. Pan kicked a 27-yard field goal, then the Wolverines stopped Mesa on a fourth-and-7 near midfield with 5:08 to go. Three plays later, Justice hooked up with Wells again, this time from 40 yards out, giving the Wolverines a 37-21 lead.
Justice ended the night completing 24 of 38 passes for 286 yards and three scores. Bacher rushed the ball 30 times for 147 yards, and caught four passes for 39 yards on the night.
