HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ROUNDUP : Montgomery’s Weaver Makes His Breaks in Victory Over Bonita Vista

As much as Montgomery prepared for Friday’s Metro Conference game against Bonita Vista, Aztec quarterback Chris Weaver did a terrific job of improvising in a 7-0 victory.

Weaver scored the game’s only touchdown on a 23-yard quarterback sneak audible, intercepted a Bonita Vista pass in the end zone after he switched coverages in mid-play, and he did all this before the game was originally scheduled to start.

“He’s a heads-up player, no doubt about it,” Aztec Coach Roger Rice said. “If he sees something, he’s got the green light to go for it.”

In this instance, the green light went on at 6 p.m., 1 hour 30 minutes early, which didn’t sit well with Baron Coach Carl Parrick.

It was the second time in three weeks Bonita Vista school officials had switched the start of a Baron home game the day before the game because of recent shootings in the area. Bonita Vista has lost both of them.

“I’m sick of them changing game times on us,” Parrick said. “I’m sick and tired of our program being jerked around like this. We’ve got 36 players on this team, and it seems like it’s 36 guys against the world.”

And not that anyone could predict the weather, it was raining at Southwestern College from kickoff until 7:30.

Weaver’s heroics, in front of about 3,000 fans and nearly as many umbrellas, lifted Montgomery to 4-3-1, 3-2, and dropped the Barons to 5-3, 3-2.

The touchdown came with 4:12 left in the first half. Facing a second down and seven from the 23, Weaver took off up the middle, broke free from a pack of Barons at the 18 and beat Nezter Ruperto in a race to the left corner of the end zone.

“They showed blitz, and that left it wide open up the middle,” said Weaver, who finished with 90 yards in 16 carries.

Weaver’s interception in the end zone came with 6:37 left, one play after he saved a touchdown by deflecting a similar fourth-down pass from Baron quarterback Wayne Nankill. A holding call on Montgomery away from that deflection left Bonita Vista with a fourth and one at the two, and the Barons chose to pass again.

Weaver was supposed to cover the tight end, but changed his coverage when he saw Nankill eyeing running back Brian Melancon in the right middle of the end zone.

Fittingly, this game featured more interceptions (three) and sacks (five) than receptions (two) and passing yards (one).

Weaver did not complete a pass in three attempts and was intercepted once. Nankill was two of 11 for one yard with two interceptions.

Montgomery ran only 34 plays and gained 160 yards. Bonita Vista, which got 113 yards from Melancon in 14 carries, ran 41 plays and netted 122 yards.