Mateo delivers 3rd straight win

The Bearcats (3-0 overall) remained undefeated with a 13-6 win over Capuchino, going scoreless through the opening three quarters before hitting pay dirt twice within the closing nine minutes to pull off a dramatic victory.

“I feel amazing,” San Mateo senior Luke Bergstrom said, despite the Bearcats giving up their first points of the season. “We took the ‘W.’ I couldn’t feel any better.”

Bergstrom paired with senior Kevin Pelaez in the linebacker corps to shore up the defense after Cap struck first, a 4-yard scoring run by quarterback Nick Solorzano midway through the second quarter.

But it was Bergstrom’s arm that turned the tide, as the senior quarterback connected with senior Michael Vendel for Mateo’s first score of the night, one fourth-and-13 from the Cap 24-yard line no less.

Vendel somehow found a seam in triple coverage as he flew down the middle of the field, and Bergstrom delivered a pearl right at the senior’s fingertips to give the Bearcats a 7-6 lead with 8:42 to play.

“It was a great throw, strong hands,” San Mateo head coach Jeff Scheller said. “Sometimes you find out what kind of character you have in a game like this … and we were lucky to win that game.”

Both teams played stingy defense. Capuchino outgained San Mateo 209-190 in total yards. But it was Mateo’s finish that made the difference.

The Mustangs (1-2) like to use unconventional means to keep opponents on their toes, and Friday was no different. Oca’s squad was consistently attempting onside kicks, including on the opening kickoff, and going for in on fourth down six times in the contest. The difference was in the second half, as Cap was 4 for 4 on fourth-down conversions in the first half, but 0 for 2 after the break.

“It’s momentum and it’s demoralizing,” Scheller said. “Capuchino is a tough, tough team. We knew it. They always have tough kids. Jay always does a great job coaching. They’re going to be really, really tough to beat in the Lake Division. We were lucky to win that game.”

The Mustangs held Mateo to a mere 18 yards of offense in the first half, while the Cap offense — in patented Bruno fashion — went to work between the tackles.

 Cap got a head of steam in taking over after a fourth-down stop at its own 34. The Mustangs used two fourth-down conversion to march into the red zone before coughing up the football, with San Mateo recovering a fumble at its own 32. A quick three-and-out — capped by a tackle for a loss by Mustangs linebacker Omar Ereikat — gave Cap the ball right back.

And this time, the green-and-gold finished the job.

Taking over at their own 37, the Mustangs drove 63 yards on 13 plays, using two more fourth-down conversions to sustain the drive. The latter of the two saw Cap find the end zone when, on fourth-and-1 from the San Mateo 4, Solorzano — making his first varsity start at QB — swept left on a play-action bootleg and pounded his way through two Mateo defenders at the goal line to score the touchdown, giving the Mustangs, who missed the point-after try, a 6-0 lead.

“This was his first time playing as a quarterback and he’s pretty good,” Cap junior center Isaiah Mendoza said. “It was like Brandon Mailangi (the now-graduated 2018 co-PAL Lake Division MVP) in there when he’s just shoot out and scramble, he’d get first downs, he’d get touchdowns. I’ve seen that. It’s pretty good.”

Then the Cap defense went on lockdown for the remainder of the half, stifling San Mateo’s final two possessions.

 Sophomore linebacker Ramon Olmos had the big hit on the ensuing drive, nabbing Bergstrom for a second-down sack. The Bearcats punted two downs later.

San Mateo got favorable field position for its final possession of the half after senior Luke Fanguna blocked a punt, giving the Bearcats the ball at the Cap 35. But the possession went backward, with Olmos bringing down Bergstrom on third-down for a 1-yard loss on a quarterback keeper. On fourth-and-9 the Bearcats opted to go for it, but a reverse handoff to Vendel was met by senior defensive tackle Sunia Havea for a five-yard loss and a turnover on downs.

In the second half, though, Mateo solved the problem with a little creativity.

After the Bearcats took the lead, they got the ball back quickly with a turnover on downs, as Pelaez drilled Solorzano for a fourth-down loss near midfield with 6:22 to play. Then, on third-and-15 from the 49, Mateo — 2 of 10 on third-down conversions in the game — executed its first third-down conversion on a reverse post pass from Dane Anderson Vendel for a 37-yard pickup. Three plays later, Bergstrom scored on a 15-yard sweep to seal the win.

The Bearcats have now yielded just six points through three games this season. The secret of their success, according to Pelaez, is good, old-fashioned teamwork.

“We’ve been able to work together effectively,” Pelaez said. “I’d say the most important part is trusting the people around you … trusting that they’ve got your back. If you’ve got trust, your defense is good.”