After suffering a 54-14 loss to Holtville High School on Homecoming, the Coronado Islanders football team came into last Friday night’s game against Canyon Hills not desperate but certainly in need of a bounce-back performance.

In their League opener against the Rattlers, bouncing back is precisely what they would do as they took down Canyon Hills by the final of 28-6.

“Coming out and getting that first league win is Huge,” noted Islanders Coach Kurt Hines, “We had a great week of practice, and our players did a great job of executing our game plan.”

Offensively, Coronado continued to move in the right direction. With starting quarterback RJ Sanchez now in his third week of starting since returning from injury, the Islanders’ offense has looked more in sync and feels like a unit that is starting to find its identity.

Sanchez would complete 56 percent of his passes, throwing for 125 yards and two touchdowns in the air, and one on the ground the win. Since he has come back under center, Sanchez and the Islanders offense are averaging 31 points per game.

“RJ was certainly more focused this week.” commented Hines, “There were still a few missed opportunities on balls that maybe should or should not have been thrown. But we definitely saw improvements again this week.”

Sanchez’s favorite target for the week was Ryder Albin. The duo connected three times for 76 yards, including a 25-yard TD strike in the third quarter; at the time making it 20-0 Islanders. Albin’s ability to make plays down field not only put points on the board but also opened up opportunities for others on the outside in the receiving core.

“Ryder is another guy who has just been getting better and better every week.” noted Hines, “Having him out on the field and competing for the way that he opens things up for other receivers in mismatches or who are being played soft.”

On the flip side of the ball, the play of the Islanders defense was arguably more impressive than their offensive counterparts.

The Islanders defense would slow down the read-option and run centric Rattlers defense, holding them to under 150 rushing on the night. Coronado’s defense also continued to generate turnovers, as they would force two fumbles and get an interception from Jayden Sherman, who made an excellent play by jumping a comeback route for the INT.

The play of the Islanders front seven would continue to be exceptional as both Mason Wilson and Sean Geary would have big nights. Wilson would tally seven tackles and a sack, while Geary would rack up five tackles and two tackles for loss.

“Mason is new to linebacker this year, and he is continuing to get 1% better every day.” committed Hines, “Having the difference makers on the defensive line allows that flow of the linebackers to get downhill and make plays.”

With their win Friday night, Coronado pushed their record to 4-3 on the year and, more importantly, started their league play schedule 1-0. This week, Coronado will return to action with a tough test against the 5-2 Hoover High School Cardinals.

The Islanders will be tasked with slowing down an explosive offense led by senior Running Back Sir Autry. Autry averages 191 yards rushing per game and leads the Cardinals with 23 total touchdowns this season.

“Autry is explosive and has a tremendous ability to change direction.” commented Hines, “We’re gonna need great flow to the ball, stick our foot in the dirt, and rally to the football.”

Kickoff will be this Friday, October 18, at 7:00 PM at Hoover High School.