By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Mission Veterans Memorial coach David Gilpin said he wasn’t upset that his quarterback, Diego Hernandez, threw an interception on the first play from scrimmage. Nor was he bothered by some of the other miscues that filled his team’s 23-2 win over Mission High on Friday.
What Gilpin was most focused on, he said, was their effort, and beating their district rivals in consecutive seasons for the first time in their 14-year battle.
“When you play a rivalry game, a win is a win is a win,” Gilpin said. “This was important (to the players) and I’m glad they found a way to get through it.”
In his first game as the full-time starter, Hernandez completed just 13 of 34 passes and two interceptions. He connected with Adam Solis on a short screen pass that Adam Solis took for an 81-yard touchdown that ice the game with 7:22 remaining.
Hernandez finished with 157 passing yards and 41 rushing, including a 3-yard ground score that gave the Patriots a 16-2 lead with 4:12 left in the third quarter.
“We just kept grinding,” Mission Vets’ Hugo Cabrera said. “We grouped. Our coaches talked to us, they told us what we were doing wrong and we just played better from there.”
Even in the second half, there were errors by both teams. Mission High was auditioning two quarterbacks, and William Arias, who started the game, had two interceptions, as the team turned the ball over five times.
Arias completed 5 of 18 passes for 7 yards, and backup Rudy Treviño connected on 5 of 10 attempts for 45 yards.
“I have to sit with my offensive coordinator to talk about (the future of the QB position),” Mission High coach Mario Peña said. “Our offense is going to go where your quarterback takes you. So we’re going to take a very, very close look to see who grades better and who moved the offense better, because ultimately you got to go with that type of individual.
“We’ll know more after we see film.”
The Eagles were also marred a series of penalties, including three penalties for roughing the passer, costing them 45 yards on a drive that helped Mission Vets score its first touchdown — a 7-yard run by sophomore Buda Gonzalez with 10:52 to play in the opening half.
It was one of the few highlights in a night in which both teams were sloppy, at times.
“If we don’t have some drops (passes), (Hernandez’s) stats look better,” Gilpin said. “But we’re not here to blame anybody. We’re not here to point fingers. It’s a team thing. If we don’t execute a play, it’s on all of us, from the coaching staff to the quarterback to the offensive line to the receivers.”