DANVILLE – It seemed like whenever Monte Vista High School quarterback Dyllan Devitt needed to complete a pass in the first half of Friday’s game against Liberty, he could always look downfield and find an open Jack Endries.
Devitt and Endries, both seniors, connected six times for 63 yards and two touchdowns in the first half as the Mustangs took an early lead and held onto a 21-14 win over the Lions to improve to 3-0 for the second time in four years.
Endries, one of the region’s top tight ends, caught a 15-yard touchdown pass on his team’s first possession, then had a 12-yard score with 2:04 to go in the second quarter to cap an 80-yard drive.
Endries’ second touchdown helped Monte Vista answer right back after Liberty’s Ryan McKendry caught a 42-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Nate Bell with 6:42 left in the second quarter, cutting the Mustangs’ lead to 14-7.
Endries, who, per Rivals.com, has offers from seven schools, including Harvard and Penn, finished with eight catches for 81 yards and now has four touchdown receptions this season. Devitt completed 17 of 25 passes for 185 yards.
“Jack and Dyllan have great chemistry,” first-year Monte Vista coach C.J. Anderson said. “That started before I became their coach.”
There was a concerning moment midway through the fourth quarter when Liberty senior receiver Khiron Green was injured returning a punt. Green remained on the field for several minutes after he took a hit and was tended to by Liberty’s training staff before first responders arrived.
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Green stayed alert throughout, and Lions coach Matt Hoefs said Green told him that he could have even walked off the field. However, protocols in situations of potential neck injuries call for first responders to take every precaution. Green, who had been dealing with some tightness in his back, was driven away in an ambulance, but the expectation was that he would be OK.
The Lions, down 21-7 when play resumed with 7:30 left in the fourth quarter, drove 89 yards in 16 plays on their next possession, capped by a 7-yard touchdown catch from Anthony Munoz from with 2:25 to go in regulation.
But the Lions’ ensuing onside kick was recovered by Monte Vista senior Cole Boscia, and the Mustangs picked up three straight first downs to run out the clock.
Bell had 206 total yards, including 147 yards passing. He made some nifty plays outside of the pocket to escape pressure and extend plays, but the Lions’ offense had trouble finding a rhythm throughout the game against a stout Mustangs defense.
Liberty (1-2) also lost running back Giancarlo Olveda, their second-leading rusher behind Bell this season, to injury on its first drive of the game.
“We’re proud of the way our defense played in the second half,” Hoefs said. “We just couldn’t establish a running game. (Monte Vista) getting a big push upfront and that put us in a lot of third-and-longs.”
Senior running back Rocco Schramm had 22 carries for 133 yards and a touchdown for the Mustangs, who host El Cerrito next week. Anderson feels his team has some work to do between now and then, particularly in regards to penalties.
Just in the third quarter Friday, Monte Vista was flagged twice for holding and once for delay of game, and, while deep in its own territory, also received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which nullified a first down after Liberty was called for pass interference on the same play.
“Just way too many penalties. We’re a better team than that,” Anderson said. “Winning is hard and it’s tough to complain when you’re 3-0. But that’s something we need to clean up.”
Liberty plays at Dublin next week and closes out its nonleague schedule at home against Bishop O’Dowd on Sept. 30.
