In a highly anticipated showdown of unbeaten teams, the University City Centurions (7-0) extended their perfect season with a hard-fought 21-13 win over the Brawley Wildcats (6-1). Despite a valiant second-half comeback attempt by Brawley, University City held on for its best start since 1992.
The Centurions struck early, with quarterback Quentyn DeMara setting the tone by scrambling for 36 yards in the first quarter, setting up Dreyden Garner’s 10-yard touchdown off an end-around. DeMara continued to shine, finding Garner in the second quarter for a three-yard touchdown pass and later extending University City’s lead with a 19-yard touchdown run of his own. The Centurions went into halftime with a commanding 21-0 lead.
Brawley, led by quarterback Matthew Gutierrez, made it interesting in the second half. Gutierrez scored on a one-yard rushing touchdown to put Brawley on the board and followed that up with a clutch 10-yard touchdown pass to Sergio Garcia on fourth down. However, a missed extra point left the score at 21-13, and University City's defense held firm to secure the win.
DeMara finished the game with three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing), while Garner recorded two receiving scores. For Brawley, Gutierrez accounted for both of their touchdowns.
"Our guys persevered," Centurions' head coach Paul Lawrence stated while praising his team’s resilience. "We always talk about staying the course, and that’s what they did. It wasn’t our best second half, but we got the win."
Lawrence praised Brawley’s blue-collar approach and their ability to fight back but also stressed the importance of executing better after the break: "We want to score in the second half and put the game out of reach. But in the end, it’s always about the win, and we got the win."
The victory sets up another potential undefeated matchup next week, as University City will host Senior Night against Scripps Ranch, who will look to stay unbeaten against Mission Bay on Friday.
"We go into every game 0-0," said Garner. "It’s important to keep that mindset."
Coach Lawrence echoed that sentiment, adding, "Coach Gardinera has a good program, and it’s going to be a battle for four quarters. As long as we have a good week of practice, we’ll be ready."
Scoring Summary:
1st Quarter
UC: DeMara 10-yard pass to Garner (PAT good)
2nd Quarter
UC: DeMara 3-yard pass to Garner (PAT good)
UC: DeMara 19-yard run (PAT good)
3rd Quarter
BRAW: Gutierrez 1-yard run (PAT good)
4th Quarter
BRAW: Gutierrez 10-yard pass to Sergio Garcia (PAT no good)
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