It was a “near perfect” season-opener for the Wildcats varsity football team as they shutout local rival Sonora High School, 45-0, at La Habra High School on Aug. 23.

“That game showcased all the hard work we put in during the offseason,” linebacker Jake Owens, senior, said.

The Wildcat offense introduced themselves early as backup receiver Gavyn Nicholson, sophomore, spied a hole in the Raiders defense and sprinted down the sideline for a 28-yard touchdown run. 

Also finding holes in the Raiders’ defensive line in the opening quarter was senior running back Nathan Aceves, who dashed through gaps to score his first of three touchdowns.

Aceves would add two more scores in the second quarter, zig-zagging downfield and breaking tackles, to extend the Wildcats’ lead to 28-0.

Aceves, an All-CIF Southern Section selection last season, gained 147 yards on 19 carries on the ground, and 69 yards receiving. The senior running back credited his totals to the offensive line: “My teammates did a great job blocking for me and creating a path for me to run the ball.”

Doyle amassed 223 yards in the air, 61 of them to junior receiver Ryan Nero, who notched a second half TD with a rugged run over, and past, the Sonora secondary.

Senior Brandon Elder, who missed last season with an ACL tear, hauled in 50 yards. 

Adding another nine points to the scoreboard was kicker Colby Thuman, junior, who made all six extra point attempts and booted a 33-yard field goal.

But it wasn’t just the offense that overpowered the Raiders.

The Wildcats sidelines erupted when senior Jake Brooks leaped to snag the ball mid-air and sprinted into the Sonora end zone for a Pick 6.

Also motivating the Wildcats’ D was a “0” on the scoreboard. 

“During the second half, a shutout became a real possibility, so the defense really focused on getting stops, which we executed,” Owens said. Owens controlled the Raiders’ offense with nine total tackles, six solo, and three resulting in loss of yards. 

The Wildcats’ defense entered the game intent on stifling Raiders running back Anthony Abad who averaged 122.5 yards per game last season and ran for 20 touchdowns. On Friday night, Abad was stuffed repeatedly at the line and failed to score.

“We had a certain formation in order to stop their run game and it worked just as designed,” Owens said.

Other forces on defense: Nick Davis, sophomore, blocked two punts, had eight tackles, and a sack, and Evan Kessel, senior, notched seven tackles.

Further motivating the Wildcats was Sonora scheduling their Senior Night against them, an unusually early date for senior celebrations.

“We knew that they chose to have their Senior Night against us because they thought they would win, but that only gave us more motivation to beat them,” Aceves said.

According to Owens, despite the decisive win, an area the team needs to address is their discipline on the field. The Wildcats were flagged six times for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“The Raiders were really chirpy and we didn’t respond as we should have,” Aceves acknowledged.  

The Wildcats next face California High School in Wildcat Stadium on Aug. 30. The Condors are coming off a 51-14 loss to Covina High School. The Wildcats have won their last two matchups against California — 47-21 last season, and 29-8 in 2022-2023.

The defense plans to target California’s passing game. Condors quarterback Ricky Gonzalez, senior, threw for 194 yards (147 of these to junior receiver Frank Gallardo), one TD, and four interceptions in their game against Covina.

Owens is confident that new formations and plays will stifle the Condors passing game. “I think we’ll be able to stop Cal’s offense, just as we did Sonora’s,” Owens said.

Despite the lopsided score and opening-game shutout, Aceves and his teammates are focusing on one game at a time. 

“The Sonora game is over with, so we need to keep the same energy this week, and we can’t forget that we are only 1-0, not 12-0,” Aceves said.

Gallery • 8 Photos

Issabella Garcia

Ryan Nero, junior, runs over a Sonora defender on his way to the end zone for a first-half score.