Football: Boron wins first home game since Rodriguez tragedy

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Playing its first home game since teammate Vinnie Rodriguez sustained a fatal head injury on the same field, Boron routed L.A. Ribet Academy, 59-0, Saturday night.

Bobcats Coach Todd Fink said tributes included a ‘V2’ painted on the field in memory of Rodriguez’s first initial and jersey number and a stand along the sideline on which the team placed the sophomore running back and safety’s jersey, where it will remain the rest of the season.

Rodriguez, 16, died Sept. 16 from head injuries sustained four days earlier during a game at Boron against Riverside California School for the Deaf.

‘The kids are resilient and are doing a very good job of dealing with it,’ Fink said. ‘I think it was about as normal [an atmosphere] as we could expect.’

Deandre Golden rushed for 129 yards in only five carries and Israel Lucas had 91 yards in nine carries for Boron. The Bobcats (4-0) will try to remain undefeated Friday when they play host to Edwards Air Force Base Desert (3-1), one of the neighboring schools that attended a fundraiser dinner last week to benefit Rodriguez’s family.

--Ben Bolch