Congratulations Vista Murrieta High School!

It’s a cold, rainy Monday in Murrieta California. The grey skies and cold temperatures seem a fitting match for the mood of Vista Murrieta Football fans disappointed over the decision by CIF Commissioners to overlook the Broncos Football team during Sunday’s State Bowl Selections. And while I’m equally mystified over the CIF decision to slight the Broncos I’m still excited over the weekend’s events that saw Vista Murrieta crowned as Inland Division Champions.

My family and I moved to Murrieta just three years ago after having spent our entire lives in the Los Angeles area and my oldest son graduated from Vista Murrieta this past Spring. My job allows me to work from home, which is a blessing as far as commuting is concerned, and a bane with regards to socializing. We have friends my wife and I have made in the local AYSO soccer league where my younger son plays but unfortunately we have few social interactions that don’t involve the “other” game of futbol. So what a pleasure it was to sit in the stands this season and follow the Broncos on their championship journey. Along the way it was my pleasure to meet the most passionate, knowledgeable, and friendly group of high school football fans I’ve ever encountered in my five years of covering high school sports. The Championship Game against Corona Centennial was the most exciting High School Football game I’ve ever seen and as Nick Stevens crossed the goal line with the winning touchdown my family celebrated with each other, and All the Vista Murrieta fans seated around us. It was a party in stands and all Bronco fans were invited. Thank you to everyone we met in the stands during this season, I’ll never forget the experience.

I wanted to extend a sincere thank you to Head Football Coach Coley Candaele and all his hard working staff as well as each and every member of the Broncos football team. As a former Los Angeles Rams and long-suffering UCLA Bruins fan, this was the first time I’ve had the pleasure of cheering a successful football team since Bill Clinton was President! I can’t let a gift like that go un-returned so this Vista Murrieta Football 2011-12 Video is a little video tribute to the Vista Murrieta Broncos for a remarkable season. Included are several video clips from what must be the best High School band in the nation.

Rich Sharp

Vista Murrieta Takes Inland Division Championship in Thriller

Vista Murrieta dominated the action against visiting Corona Centennial in a thrilling Inland Division final only to look up at the scoreboard and find themselves trailing 28-27 with just a little over 3 minutes remaining on the game clock. Starting from their own 16-yard line the Broncos started the drive that would erase the memories of back-to-back Inland Division Championship game losses the previous two seasons. The Broncos converted two fourth downs on the drive including a key play when cagey quarterback Nick Stevens used a “hard-count” to perfection drawing Centennial defenders across the line of scrimmage on 4th and 3 from the Huskies 40-yard line. The ensuing 5-yard penalty gave Vista Murrieta a first down with about 30-seconds left in the game. Two plays later it was Stevens again, this time faking an interior hand-off and then exploiting a seam in the middle of the Huskies defense. The rangy 6’4 Junior broke free and weaved his way through the Centennial secondary evading a tackler at the 5-yard line and touching off an explosive celebration on the Murrieta side of the house as he broke the goal line. After a successful two-point conversion Vista Murrieta led 35-28 and when Bronco defenders dragged Romelo Goodman to the ground just a few seconds later Vista Murrieta had captured their first Inland Division Championship and completed a perfect 14-0 season.

In front of a sold out crowd that began arriving in the stadium at around 5:00 p.m. for the 8:07 kickoff the hometown Broncos got off to a quick start jumping ahead 10-0 in the first quarter behind a 31-yard field goal by Tyler Rausa and a 7-yd touchdown pass from Stevens to Su’a Cravens. Vista Murrieta’s defense was solid holding Centennial without a first down and throttling tailback Romelo Goodman on the Huskies first two possessions of the night. But senior quarterback Hayden Gavett got Centennial moving on their next drive using short passes to move the ball down the field. On the first play of the 2nd quarter Goodman plunged in from the 1-yard line, pulling the Huskies to within 10-7. It was one of two rushing touchdowns on the night for Romelo Goodman who finished the season with 44 TDs on the ground. Centennial forced the Broncos to punt on the ensuing possession and appeared to be building momentum when the Broncos Darion Williams intruded. On 4th down deep in Huskies territory the senior defensive back/wide receiver raced in from the end to block the punt and give Vista Murrieta possession at the Centennial 17-yard line. After a penalty for intentional grounding the Broncos converted on 3rd & 27 when Stevens found Williams for a 34-yard touchdown strike and a 17-7 Vista Murrieta advantage. Undaunted, Centennial came right back, taking just a little over 2 minutes the Huskies marched 71 yards in 7 plays with Hayden Gavett completing a 30-yard pass to flanker Isaac Crandall, Romelo Goodman tearing off a 20-yard run and Giles Guy-Williams hauling in a 16-yard touchdown pass to make the score 17-14 at halftime.

As they had a week ago on this same field against a previously undefeated Upland team, the Broncos came out to start the 2nd half and just smashed the ball straight through the heart of the Centennial defense moving 83 yards in 10 plays, consuming 6 minutes off the game clock. Senior offensive lineman Corey Whitaker, Sapule Ta’amilo, and Joshua Stucki dominated the battle at the line of scrimmage repeatedly opening holes for Stevens and senior tailback Aaron Pieucukonis. On 4th & 1 at the Centennial 16-yard line, Su’a Cravens took a pitch from Stevens and sprinted around the left end of the Huskies defense out-racing defenders to the corner of the end-zone for the only score of the 3rd quarter and a 24-14 Vista Murrieta lead. Tyler Rausa added a 45-yard field goal following a Darion Williams interception on Centennial’s first possession of the 4th quarter and with just a little over 10 minutes remaining Vista Murrieta appeared on the way to the championship with a 27-14 lead. But with their defense reeling and their crowd silent the Huskies offense responded with two impressive 4th quarter drives to take the lead. Romelo Goodman, who had been held largely in check for most of the evening suddenly flashed his brilliance slicing through the Broncos defense for a 57-yard touchdown run trimming the lead to 6 points.

Centennial’s defense held on their next possession forcing a punt and giving the ball back to Hayden Gavett and the offense. In front of a now-nervous Murrieta crowd the Huskies started at their own 25-yard line and drove the ball 75-yards in 11 plays. With just 3:24 left in the game, Gavett found Giles Guy-Williams on a quick slant route for a 21-yard touchdown strike and Centennial’s first lead of the game at 28-27. Stifling crowd noise from a packed house at Vista Murrieta turned eerily quiet. The Inland Division Title that had eluded Vista Murrieta’s grasp the last two seasons suddenly appeared in jeopardy after a night of blue & gold domination on the field and the strain showed in the faces of the fans.

Starting inside their own 20-yard line Stevens and the Broncos began the drive that delivered the elusive Inland Division Championship to Vista Murrieta High School. Along the way, diminutive senior wide receiver Bradley Trujillo reeled-in a pass thrown behind him on 4th down to preserve the Bronco’s season. The hometown Murrieta crowd, parents and students alike (bloggers too!) went crazy as Stevens crossed the goal line, a celebration that was repeated just moments later when the final whistle sounded and Vista Murrieta was crowned Champion.

Congratulations to Head Coach Matt Logan and the Corona Centennial Huskies for another outstanding season.

Congratulations to Vista Murrieta Head Coach Coley Candaele and all the Broncos for winning their first Inland Division Championship! Now it’s up to the CIF Commissioners to determine if the Broncos overall body of work on the season qualifies Vista Murrieta for a State Bowl game next weekend.

After a perfect 14-0 season on the football field … It Should!


Rich Sharp

Vista Murrieta Takes Down Upland 39-18

“Two years ago we knocked on the door, last year we banged on it, this year we're going to knock the damn door down!” The game-ending speech from Vista Murrieta Head Coach Coley Candaele? Not exactly, those were the infamous words of Houston Oilers Head Coach Bum Phillips in 1980 following two consecutive defeats in the AFC Conference Championship game. But the sentiment is just as appropriate coming out of the Vista Murrieta locker room after the Broncos dominating 39-18 victory over previously undefeated Upland Friday night at Vista Murrieta High School. Candaele and the Broncos will be heading to the Inland Division Championship Game for the third consecutive season in search of their first title and a possible invitation to a State Bowl Game.

In front of a packed house Vista Murrieta got on the scoreboard first when quarterback Nick Stevens found receiver Cody Pieucukonis open for a 46-yard touchdown strike and a 7-0 Bronco lead. After the Vista Murrieta defense held the Highlanders without a first down it was Pieucokonis again. This time taking a punt on the Vista Murrieta 36-yard line, evading a tackler and then sweeping to the left hand side of the field picking up a wall of blue and gold-clad blockers down the sideline on the way to a 64-yard punt return for touchdown and a 14-0 Bronco advantage with 4 minutes left in the first quarter. Upland (12-1) responded as quarterback Nate Romine connected on passes with receivers Marques Mosley and Kenny Lawler to move into Bronco territory and senior tailback Donta Abron Jr finished the drive with a dazzling 32-yard touchdown run out-racing Vista Murrieta defenders to the pylon and trimming the deficit to 14-6. But Vista Murrieta dominated special teams all night and Bronco defensive back Darion Williams blocked the extra-point attempt. Following a fumble recovery on Vista Murrieta’s next possession the Highlanders quickly marched down the field again scoring with just seconds remaining in the first half when Romine found Lawler in the corner of the end-zone for a 31-yard touchdown pass. Lawler, a talented senior with Division I talent was closely covered on the play but managed to out-leap the defender and come down just inside the goal line. The Highlanders missed another extra-point and Vista Murrieta went into the half time intermission leading just 14-12.

The Broncos started the second half with a dominating 13-play 92-yard drive that consumed nearly 8 minutes off the game clock. It was the kind of tough, brutal Bronco football Murrieta fans have come to expect from Candaele and his players as tailback Aaron Pieucokonis and quarterback Nick Stevens (173 passing yards, 53 rushing yards) repeatedly smashed thru holes in the middle of the Highlanders defense opened by senior linemen Sapule Ta’amilo, Corey Whitaker, and Joshua Stucki. With 7 minutes remaining in the third quarter Stevens dragged Upland defenders across the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown score and a 21-12 lead. Not to be outdone the Bronco defense responded on Upland’s ensuing possession with linebacker Su’a Cravens sacking quarterback Nick Romine on 3rd down forcing a punt. Cravens, among the most highly recruited players in Southern California had a sensation all-around game with 3 sacks, a blocked punt, 3 pass receptions and he ran in a two-point conversion. Following the punt by Upland the Broncos methodically marched down the field against a stunned and tiring Upland defense. It was Pieucokonis again, although it was Cody’s twin brother Aaron (17 carries, 133 yards) who tore through a massive whole on the right side of the Upland defense this time and dashed 33 yards to the end-zone. 28-12 Vista Murrieta with just 12 minutes to play in the game.

Romine and the Highlanders had one final gasp in their fantastic season. In just over 2 minutes Romine was able to move Upland down the field again connecting with Kenny Lawler on a key third-down conversion and running it in from the 1-yard line to cut the advantage to 28-18. Unfortunately for Upland the Broncos special teams responded again as Darion Williams took the ensuing kickoff at his goal line, broke a tackle at his own 20 and raced down the Highlanders sideline 65 yards before being pushed out of bounds. Tyler Rausa’s 31-yard field goal made the score 31-18 Vista Murrieta. Darion Williams completed an incredible game with a pick-six off a Nate Romine pass on Upland’s next possession that completed the scoring and sealed Upland’s fate.

Vista Murrieta (8-5, with all 5 losses by forfeit) will get a chance for some payback next Friday when they host Corona Centennial (12-1) in a rematch of last year’s Inland Division Championship Game. Time for Coley Candaele and the Broncos to knock that damn door down!

Rich Sharp