Matthew Juarez (68) and other Watsonville players celebrate moments after defeating Seaside. The victory pushed the Wildcatz into a tie for first place. (Photo by Eric Anderson)

In one of its biggest victories in years, the Watsonville High football team defeated visiting Seaside 40-37 in a wild Monterey Bay League game Friday night.

Fernando Olivarez scored four touchdowns, including three in the second half, for the Wildcatz (6-3, 3-1), who not only bolstered their Central Coast Section playoff hopes, but moved into a three-way tie for first place in the Monterey Bay League standings. Seaside and Monterey are tied with Watsonville, but play next week, so the Wildcatz can clinch one of the league’s two automatic playoff berths with a win in their regular-season finale against Pajaro Valley.

The game was in doubt until Watsonville stopped Seaside

(6-2-1, 3-1-0) on fourth-and-2 on the Wildcatz 30-yard line. After the victory, Watsonville players jumped and hollered with joy, and the crowd at Geiser Field gave a lengthy cheer.

“This was the best game I’ve played in in all my years here,” Wildcatz defensive captain Blake Gradilla said. “It was intense.”

The winning play was a 10-yard pass from quarterback Jerry Alvarez to Olivarez, who made a leaping grab in the back of the end zone behind a Seaside defender.

“When I was rolling out, I saw the corner’s back, so I knew (Olivarez) would jump up and catch it,” Alvarez said.

“I just jumped as high as I could and tried not to drop it,” Olivarez said.

While that was the game-winning play, Seaside coach Al Avila said two other plays really cost his team.

With the Spartans up 29-22 at halftime, Olivarez returned the kickoff opening the third quarter for a touchdown. Avila said his kicker was instructed to kick the ball away from Olivarez, whom Avila said is one of the MBL’s best two players, the other being Alvarez.

The second play was when the Spartans fumbled the ball away at the Watsonville 3-yard line midway through the third quarter. Instead of Seaside adding a touchdown to its 29-28 lead, the Wildcatz got the ball back and drove 98 yards for a touchdown. Olivarez caught an 11-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-8.

“That cost us,” said Avila, who congratulated Watsonville’s players in their post-game huddle for an outstanding performance. “It really cost us.”

Seaside quarterback Ronald Saxton had a huge game, throwing for close to 450 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Jovahn Lualemana added 88 yards rushing, including a 52-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and had a touchdown catch.

The Wildcatz, however, were opportunistic, recovering a Seaside fumble on the opening kickoff, executing an onside kick successfully and recovering two fumbles in the third quarter. Alvarez had 92 yards rushing, including a 17-yard touchdown. The Monterey Bay area’s passing leader, he didn’t have a big day throwing the ball, finishing with just 142 yards passing, but made the winning throw when it counted. Olivarez had 113 yards receiving, Joaquin had a 12-yard touchdown run and Tony Mora added 78 yards rushing, all but four yards of his total coming after halftime.

“We came out and just battled and I couldn’t be more proud of these boys,” Wildcatz coach Tom Sullivan said. They showed that they were men, not just because of the victory but because of how they carried themselves on the field.”



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