The Dos Pueblos High School varsity football team defeated Del Sol High School with a 56-0 shutout victory in a non-league matchup on Friday night.
“This week we focused on ourselves and wanted to ensure that we were better in execution, and tonight was a good example of that,” said head football coach Alexandros Pateras.
The Chargers opened the first quarter with a three-and-out on their opening drive, forcing a punt and keeping the game scoreless early. However, the momentum shifted quickly when Callan Lee (12) broke free on a punt return for the first score of the night, putting DPHS up 7-0 with 8 minutes and 15 seconds left in the quarter.
It was Lee’s first touchdown of the season, and he said afterward that the moment he caught the ball, he knew he could take it to the end zone. He continued on to say that it wasn’t just his first touchdown—it was his first opportunity of the season.
The Chargers struck again soon after when quarterback Grady Felix (10) connected with Micah Barnhart (12) for a 25-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 14-0. Friday’s game marked Felix’s first varsity start as quarterback.
“It didn’t feel real,” Felix said. “I felt like I had something to prove as a sophomore, but we did it, and we worked really well as a team. It felt great.”
Felix finished the game completing five of eight passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
“Being a younger guy, it’s hard to step into this role, but I’ve got some guys that have my back,” Felix said, “I want to keep proving myself and proving to these guys that I can compete.”
In the second quarter, DPHS’s defense continued to shut down Del Sol and keep them out of the end zone, as the offense kept adding to the lead. Diego Chamu (12) made a short rushing touchdown to make the score 21-0. Felix and Barnhart connected again shortly after, this time for a 70-yard touchdown that pushed the lead to 28-0.
Lee continued to make an impact after snagging an interception late in the second that set up another short rushing score by Diego Meza (11), giving DPHS a 35-0 lead going into halftime.
The Chargers carried their momentum into the second half, with Drew Schultz (12) scoring on a 20-yard keeper early in the third quarter. Shultz also went 7-for-7 on PATs and added a touchback.
“Drew kicked great, and then when he was in the offense, he managed it really well,” Pateras said.
Later in the third quarter, Ivan Velez (12), playing in his first game since recovering from an ACL injury, added a rushing touchdown to extend the lead 49-0 heading into the fourth.
Shultz finished off the night by connecting with Jack Campbell (12) on a 70-yard touchdown pass with just four minutes left in the fourth quarter, sealing the 56-0 victory for the Chargers.
With the win, DPHS evened their record at 2-2 and looks to build on their momentum heading into next week’s game against Ventura High School on Sept. 19.
