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SAN JOSE – Two weeks ago, there were three teams that were undefeated in Blossom Valley Athletic League Santa Teresa Division action.
Now there is only one.
Branham is alone at the top of the division after a very impressive 48-8 victory over host Overfelt on Saturday. Overfelt had a 3-0 Santa Teresa Division record entering the game.
Cameron Rynhard talks about the Branham football team’s big win at Overfelt. @cameron_rynhard @frankposo32 @CoachSJ51 @Branhamfootball @DarrenSabedra @VytasMazeika @schwab_matt pic.twitter.com/tUh5zjHVim
— Phil Jensen (@JensenPhil) October 20, 2019
It wasn’t necessarily a surprise that Branham beat Overfelt — it was the way that the Bruins won which turned heads. Branham (7-0, 4-0) held a slim 6-0 lead entering the second quarter before exploding for 28 straight points entering halftime and holding a 41-0 lead midway through the third quarter.
“Considering where this program has been the last decade and to come in here and do what we did with all things considered, I don’t think anybody saw this coming,” Branham coach Stephen Johnson said. “This was a very impressive victory.”
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Branham quarterback Nick Bandanza continued to fire touchdown passes – after notching a personal-best five touchdown passes in a 42-27 win over previously undefeated Willow Glen on Oct. 11, the junior had four more on Saturday, all in the first 29 minutes of the game.
But the whole Branham team shined brightly. Running back Cameron Rynhard rushed for a game-high 169 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown run. The Bruins defense turned two interceptions into touchdowns – an 85-yard return for Gabe Castillo and a 40-yard score by Jack SanFilippo, which was the last touchdown of the game in the third quarter.
“It seems like with our kids, the tougher these games are, the more stakes there are, the more these guys show up,” Johnson said. “I think it says a lot about the kids’ character.”
Last year, Overfelt shut out Branham 42-0 in the Bruins’ homecoming game. That fact was not lost on the team this week.
“Them beating us last year, we got some redemption this year, so it feels great to go home with a ‘W’ this time,” Rynhard said.
With many penalties being assessed by the referees on plays, the game moved slowly. The first half took nearly 90 minutes by itself (84 to be exact).
The only scoring in the first quarter occurred on a six-yard pass from Bandanza to Jake Herington. But Branham broke the game open in the last 10 minutes of the second quarter.
First, Bandanza found Tristan Vanitegem in the end zone for a 31-yard touchdown. The drive was set up by an interception by Carson Ledesma late in the first half.
Bandanza then threw his third TD of the game, this time to Nick Parise for 7 yards. Bandanza finished the game with six completions in 12 attempts for 115 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.
On Branham’s next series, Rynhard spun away from a tackle attempt and saw an open field in front of him for a 63-yard touchdown run. Castillo then scored on his interception return, and Branham led 34-0 at halftime. Bandanza produced his final touchdown pass on a 27-yard play to Matthew Cordova with 7 minutes, 17 seconds left in the third quarter. It was his last pass attempt of the game.
Overfelt, which fell to 4-3 overall, scored in the third quarter on a three-yard run by Isaiah Olivieri and a two-point conversion run by Tristan Maningo.
