HACIENDA HEIGHTS — With an offensive explosion for both teams, Carter High School outlasted host Wilson, 70-48, in a CIF-Southern Section Division 12 semifinal football game at Los Altos Friday night.
Running back Jordan McKinning scored a game-high six touchdowns for the Lions. The senior ran for 283 yards on 26 carries.
Wilson (11-2) was led by senior running back Dominic Ezeonye with 197 yards on 20 carries and three touchdowns.
Ezeonye, who broke the 2,000-yard barrier, finishes with 2,183 yards and 31 TDs.
He ran for scores of 15, 46 and 50 yards.
“It feels amazing,” said Ezeonye, of his yardage this season. “Playing running back for two years now, I never thought I’d get 2K with the season I had last year.
“This season we’re paving the way for the program after 15 to 20 years we never got this far. With what we’ve done, Wilson is going to be looking up now.”
After almost two decades of no playoff appearances, the Wildcats have qualified for two consecutive postseasons.
The first half had plenty of action with nine touchdowns on 11 possessions between the two teams.
Carter came out on fire with two scores in its first two possessions before the Wildcats could get on the scoreboard with a 4-yard score by Ezeonye with 32 seconds left in the first quarter.
“What (Ezeonye) was able to do this year and last year and how the program has taken a step up each year has been great,” said Wilson coach Charles Lewis, who is an alumnus of the school. “The players have worked hard to change the culture here.”
Wilson, which won back-to-back CIF titles in 1996 and 1997, came alive in the second quarter with three scores, but Carter matched them with three of their own to lead at the half, 35-28.
Ezeonye, who nearly had 2,000 yards rushing last season for the Wildcats, ran for scores of 46 yards each and junior running back Johnathan Silanskis rushed for a 4-yard touchdown late in the second quarter.
“It’s a loss of words, but I haven’t been involved in too many games like this,” Wilson said. “It was an explosive game, going back and forth and you kind of expect that with both teams fighting all year long.
“I would say this was our toughest game all year. We didn’t get to our ultimate goal, but we did step up from last year.”
Carter opened the second half with a touchdown in the first minute of the third quarter on a 43-yard pass from senior quarterback Ryder Carson (18 for 21, 293 yards, 2 TDs) to senior wide receiver Joey Martinez (13 catches, 239 yards) to extend the lead to 42-28.
With no quit in the game, the Wildcats came back with a 44-yard touchdown run by senior Rene Catarino to trail by a score late in the third quarter, 42-35.
Carter answered, like they had all night, with a quick score on a 71-yard run by Carson to lead, 49-35.
The fourth quarter saw five more touchdowns, including two big runs by Wilson senior running back Derek Ochoa.
After Carter opened the game up with two scores to lead, 62-35, Ochoa (124 yards rushing) ran a kickoff return for 90 yards and closed the game with an 80-yard touchdown run.
Wilson Junior wide receiver Brian Silva added 44 yards on three receptions and senior quarterback Juaquin Villaobos was 5 for 11 for 50 yards.