THE BIG GAME / CHULA VISTA 0, SWEETWATER 0 : Sweetwater Lets One Slip Away

NATIONAL CITY —  Sweetwater quarterback Dennis Gregorio will not remember Friday’s football game against Chula Vista as well as he will remember one particular moment--fourth down and inches from the goal line on the second half’s opening drive of a scoreless tie.

“We were just inches from the goal line,” he recalled. “And the ball slipped out of my hands.”

Not only did the Red Devils lose the fumble, they also lost a possible upset victory over Chula Vista. Despite out-gaining the Spartans, 206 yards to 107, the Red Devils had to settle for a 0-0 tie.

“It was my fault,” Gregorio said of the fumble. “We had this game, too. . . . I guess things like that happen, though.”

It was the second Sweetwater turnover of the game, and the first of three in a row that would end drives.

The Red Devils quickly took over again after that fumble as Chula Vista could not escape the shadow of the goal line and had to punt. After getting the ball back 40 yards from where they dropped it, the Red Devils dropped it again, this time on the second play from scrimmage when Josh Driggs muffed a pitch on an option play.

Alberto Marzan recovered for Chula Vista, but again, the Spartans were forced to punt after three plays. And again the Red Devils gave the ball right back. This time Gregorio threw an interception from his 44.

For the first time all night, Chula Vista took over aggressively and moved the ball 31 yards to the 8. They then proved they weren’t immune from mistakes, and, on a second and seven, running back Jacob Lewis fumbled the ball away.

Only five minutes remained. The Red Devils, who had to do something, gave the ball to Jesse Meza for the first time in the game. Meza went 57 yards before being caught from behind and tackled by Johnny Robinson at the 38.

Sweetwater continued the drive to the 29, where it again faced a fourth and one. This time Gregorio received the snap cleanly and got the handoff to fullback Tai Lepule, who tried going up the middle, but was met at the line of scrimmage before falling forward.

The spot was an inch shy of a first down.

“I had that (first down),” Lepule said. “I looked at it and I had it, but, you know, sometimes you get a bad spot.”

Chula Vista Coach George Ohnesorgen refused to blame either team for all the mistakes. He instead credited the hard-hitting defenses.

“You know what,” he said, “we had our chances to score some points, too, but you have to credit the defenses for knocking people around pretty good.”

So Chula Vista (4-1-2, 4-0-1 in the Metro Conference) kept its league unbeaten streak in tact at 36.

“If we’re going to keep it going,” Ohnesorgen said. “I’d rather keep it going with a win.”

Sweetwater moved to 4-3-1, 2-2-1.