Vista del Lago’s Junior Eagles faced off against the Whitney Wildcats in a trio of football matchups over the weekend. Despite a strong defensive showing from the Eagles, Whitney emerged victorious in all three divisions. Here’s a breakdown of the game action provided by the Vista Jr. Eagles football program:
Midgets: Whitney 8, Vista 6
In a hard-fought defensive battle, Whitney edged out the Vista Jr. Eagles Midget team 8-6. The game began with Jake Fucci intercepting a Whitney pass, halting their initial drive. After a scoreless first quarter, Whitney struck late in the second with a touchdown, going up 8-0.
Vista responded quickly, with quarterback Travis Kaestner connecting with Kyron Gulley for an 88-yard touchdown pass. The extra point attempt was no good, leaving the score at 8-6 at halftime.
The second half saw more dominant defense from both teams. Defensive end Will Hooks recovered a fumble for Vista, but the Eagles were unable to capitalize. Defensive standouts Porter Williamson and Josiah Davis made key plays to stop Whitney’s drives, but neither team could break through, and the Wildcats held on for the win.
Jr. Midgets:Whitney 17, Vista 0
Whitney secured a 17-0 victory over Vista’s Jr. Midget team in a game defined by strong defensive efforts on both sides.
Whitney took an early lead with a field goal after the Eagles’ defense, led by McLeod, held strong near the goal line. The Wildcats extended their lead to 11-0 with a touchdown in the second quarter. Vista showed promise late in the half with a long drive into Wildcat territory, but an interception ended their scoring opportunity.
In the second half, the Eagles forced a fumble recovered by Pacheco Campbell, but another turnover near the end zone erased a chance to score. Despite defensive highlights from players like Molnar, Kubik, and Cabrera, Whitney added a final touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal their 17-0 win.
Pee Wee: Whitney 13, Vista 0
The Pee Wee matchup saw Whitney take an early lead with a touchdown on a recovered kickoff. Vista mounted a strong response with impressive runs from Nicholas Ahola, Jaxton Steele, and Finley Hollingsworth, but the drive stalled, and Whitney added another touchdown to close out the first quarter with a 13-0 lead.
The Eagles showed resilience in the second half, with Hollingsworth intercepting a pass and advancing the ball into Wildcat territory. However, a fourth-down turnover ended their best scoring opportunity. The fourth quarter saw strong defensive play from both teams, with Vista’s Brad Larson, Ethan Dowd, and Morgan Murphy making key tackles. Despite an interception by Ahola, Vista couldn’t break through Whitney’s defense, and the Wildcats ran out the clock for a 13-0 victory.
The Vista Jr. Eagles showed improvement across all divisions, making for an exciting weekend of football action.
