Bishop Diego football made the trip up to Fresno to take on Central and fell by a score of 48-28 on Friday.
Despite the lopsided final score, the Cardinals came out firing early in the game.
Sophomore running back Gabe Villa scored an 8-yard touchdown halfway through the first quarter to break a scoreless tie and give Bishop Diego a 7-0 lead.
Then, sophomore linebacker Dominic Herrera jumped in front of a pass for an interception deep in Grizzlies territory.
The offense took advantage, as sophomore quarterback John Michael Flint found Danny Ortega for a 3-yard touchdown pass with two minutes left in the first, expanding the lead to 14-0.
The Cardinals got another big defensive play early in the second quarter as junior linebacker Ashton Zimmerman snagged an interception of his own. Unfortunately for Bishop, the offense couldn’t capitalize.
The Grizzlies found the end zone before the first half came to a close, cutting the Bishop Diego lead to 14-7 heading into halftime.
The beginning of the third quarter was quiet, but Central got back on the scoreboard with a touchdown pass with 6:46 remaining in the quarter to tie the score at 14-14.
That score energized the Grizzlies as they scored on a touchdown run on their next drive and then scored on a pick-six to go up 27-14.
They weren’t done there in the third, as a touchdown pass expanded the lead to 34-14 heading into the final quarter.
To begin the fourth quarter, Flint connected with Villa for his second score of the game on a 15-yard pitch and catch, cutting into the lead at 34-21.
The momentum carried over to the Cardinal defense, as sophomore linebacker Jaison Lotu recovered a fumble and returned it for a touchdown to make it a one score game at 34-28 with 7:44 remaining.
However, Central reclaimed the momentum with a big drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown pass to go up 41-28 with just over six minutes to go.
The Grizzlies defense secured two more interceptions and another touchdown before the game was over, putting the finishing touches on the 48-28 win.
Bishop Diego (1-3) will return home to face St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy next week at La Playa Stadium.
