Don’t look now, folks, but the Coronado Islanders’ football team is back above .500. Following their 0-2 start to the year, the Islanders have rallied and this past Friday night captured their third straight win with a 51-8 victory over Mar Vista in the Battle for Strand Way.

“It’s been a slow cook, if you will,” laughed Head Coach Kurt Hines. “We are still in the process of getting better and becoming more refined. Our goal each day and each week is to get one percent better. I think the players here have started to buy in more on holding themselves to a higher standard.”

Friday’s 51-point game was the best the team’s offense has looked this season. A significant reason for the lively offensive showing was the return of starting quarterback RJ Sanchez. Sanchez went just seven for ten through the air but found ample success using his feet. The signal-caller would carry the ball eight times for 62 yards and four rushing touchdowns.

“It was great to have RJ back,” noted Hines. “On two of the touchdowns, he made the incorrect read but was able to make it work; we tell our guys, if you’re going to make a mistake, do it 100%. RJ back there at QB not only gives us an edge offensively but also allows other guys to rotate back to their normal spots. Jaden Sherman was able to return to his slot spot and give this offense another weapon.”

Sanchez would not be alone in his big night running the ball. In total, the Islanders rushed for 212 yards as a team, with Landon Sutherland, Thomas Wilson, and Coltyn Dickerson all finding paydirt in the win.

Now, in a win that saw the Islanders score 51 points, one would expect the total yards gained to be higher than the 328 total Coronado had. The truth is though, the Islanders were usually working with short fields thanks to the stellar play of their defense.

The Islanders’ front four, specifically their interior pass rush, won all night. The group tallied four sacks on the night, with Logan Tontz and Stanley Guymon leading the way with one sack each in the win.

“The front four were huge, and everyone along the defense did a great job of staying disciplined,” commented Hines. “They applied pressure all night, and on the back end, the secondary did a nice job of sticking to their assignments and not getting caught with their eyes in the backfield.”

Along with the four sacks, Coronado’s defense generated three turnovers that yielded three extra possessions for the Islanders’ offense. Sophomore Jack Nelson would come away with an interception, and Guymon came away with two fumble recoveries.

While generating and looking for turnovers is always preached, Coach Hines said there was some extra emphasis on pushing at the ball and looking to create turnovers heading into the week.

“It’s always part of the game plan, but we put a bit more time and attention into it this week at practice,” said Hines. “If we’re not creating those turnovers, we’re not doing as much as we can defensively.”

Coronado’s record sits at 3-2 after their rivalry game victory against Mar Vista. They’ll now be turning their attention quickly to Holtville High School, a team that will come in front of the desert league with a record of 6-0 on the year.

“They’re big, physical, and bring a ton of pressure,” commented Hines. “We’ll need to show up more than ever and be ready to hit. We’ll need a physical week of practice with our scout team pushing our offense or defense when we are out there.”

Coronado and Holtville are set to kick off this Friday night at 7:00 p.m. at Coronado High School.