It was a coming-out party of sorts for Dos Palos Bronco quarterback Quentin Herrera.
In his first start, the sophomore passed for 207 yards and two touchdowns as the Broncos used a big second half to beat Los Banos, 43-19, in the 100th battle of the Westside neighbors.
Prior to the game, Bronco head coach Rob Calvert said that he was hoping to surround Herrera with plenty of help while he navigates the rigors of varsity football, especially in front of a large crowd that always shows up for the DP/LB rivalry.
And it always helps to have one of the fastest receivers in the Central Section on your team.
Herrera connected with senior receiver Jesus Bon for a pair of scores as the senior wideout hauled in scoring passes of 87 and 40 yards.
“Quentin came in and got it done,” said Calvert. “He settled in and really got comfortable. And it sure helped to have Bon.”
The Broncos, according to their coach, worked hard to establish the run against the Tigers. Andre Flores and Nick Emery both hammered Los Banos for tough yardage, and Flores finished the contest with 97 yards.
After Dos Palos opened the scoring in the second quarter on a 17-yard field goal by Bon, the Tigers went out in front after running back Raul Diaz took a handoff from quarterback Gavin Estrada, headed straight up the middle, and raced 83 yards for a touchdown and a 6-3 lead. After the Broncos fumbled on their next drive, the Tigers took over with a short field, and Estrada carried the ball in from 10 yards out and a 12-3 lead.
Bon hauled in a beautiful pass in the second quarter for a 87-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 12-9.
The Broncos broke the game open in the third quarter. Emery scored on a 23-yard run and Flores added a six-yard touchdown. In between, Herrera connected with Bon again for a 40-yard touchdown score.
Calvert said the Bronco defense stepped up to keep the Tiger offense in check and also forcing three Tiger turnovers.
“Except for that one big run and the short field we gave them after the turnover, I thought we held them pretty good,” he explained. “Jesus Tapia and Justin Hurd played well, and Gurvinder Singh had a great game on both sides of the ball.”
Calvert also noted that another sophomore, Juan Corchado, also had a good game.
“We had an injury and had to call Juan up from the junior varsity on Thursday, so he only had one day of varsity practice, and he did a good job,” he added.
Beating the archrival Tigers is always a treat, but the coach said that to do it on the centennial is even more special.
“It’s the 100th game, and our name is going on that trophy, and that’s special,” he said.
This Friday, Dos Palos will be home when they host Chowchilla, which defeated Firebaugh last Friday, 17-14. Gametime is scheduled for 7:30 pm.
