Health & Fitness
Yeah, That Was A Big Win
Redlands East Valley's 10-7 victory over Mission Viejo showed heart, determination and that the balance of power may be shifting east.
Redlands East Valley is supposed to be good.
Hanging with the likes of Mission Viejo good? Sure.
Beating them? Wow.
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Yet that was what happened Friday night at Ted Runner Stadium at the University of Redlands. REV, the once-forgotten stepchild in the area, knocked off one the state's best teams, 10-7.
Sure it took a little bit of luck. A wild bounce off a Mission Viejo player on a punt that then careened into the end zone for the Wildcats' only touchdown. But that's what good teams do -- create a little luck. And you do that with hard-nosed play and a never-say-die attitude.
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The Wildcats possess both in large numbers. There are plenty of teams that could have folded up their tents and called it a night facing the pressure REV did Friday night.
Mission Viejo drove and drove and drove against the Wildcats' defense. And REV pounded back each and every time.
REV's defense intercepted the ball twice inside their 10-yard-line -- once in the end zone with less than a minute remaining in the first half. They closed the door on the Diablos with a goal-line stand after being on the field for a Mission Viejo drive that lasted about 12 minutes.
Simply an epic performance.
REV coach Kurt Bruich I dare say it's one of the biggest wins not just for the Wildcats, but for the region.
It's one thing when schools such as Corona Centennial wins against a team like this -- that school still draws well from its area. It was another when Fontana and Eisenhower won championships, because those the days of one-school towns.
Sure, things go in cycles. And wins like these are happening with more and more regularity.
But this is REV. It was always seen as the red-headed stepchild to Redlands. The team that had a losing streak how long? One former colleague put at 47 games or so.
Of course, now the real work begins. The always-tough Citrus Belt League begins play next week. Records are wiped clean. If you want to make the postseason, you need to win from this point forward. And don't think that 1-4 Redlands will sit idly by and let the Wildcats run over them in their stadium in two weeks.
Otherwise, Friday's euphoric victory will go for naught. Just another team that reached the mountain top too early to enjoy the view.