THE BIG GAME : Grossmont Downs Mt. Miguel

Before Friday’s game against Mt. Miguel, Grossmont Coach Judd Hulbert talked a lot about big plays and how the Matadors, who entered the game 2-0, were prone to score quick and often.

He never once let on about his own team’s scoring ability. He doesn’t have to now. No. 6 Grossmont, 2-0, a team with a reputation for grinding it out, had three touchdown plays of over 50 yards en route to a 33-16 victory in front of an estimated crowd of 2,000 at home.

Each of the Foothillers’ scores came on or after, you guessed it, big plays.

“We’re a big-play team, too,’ Hulbert said afterward. ‘We’re gojng to be OK. But we still need to be able to grind it out.”

Junior running back Jason Eskridge rushed for 142 yards on 11 carries. Most of it came on touchdown runs of 63 and 78 yards in the first half. He also had a 52-yard reception for a touchdown.

Grossmont’s game plan going in was to control the line of scrimmage and pound away inside with Eskridge, while hoping to neutralize the big-play ability of Mount Miguel’s option attack, which centered around tailback Earl Bryers, who finished 22-130 rushing, with a 65-yard scoring run.

So, on the game’s first play from scrimmage, the unexpected happened. Eskridge took a handoff on a simple dive over guard, seemingly with the idea of softening up Mt. Miguel’s defensive front, and exploded untouched for his 63-yard score.

Then in the second quarter, with Grossmont leading 7-3, the Foothillers opened a drive at their own 22-yard line and decided to pitch to Eskridge. He broke toward the right sideline then reversed his field. Gone. Seventy-eight yards. Grossmont led 13-3 after the kick failed.

Then the expected happened. Mt. Miguel came right back to score on it’s first play from scrimmage when Troy Stephens (10-124 rushing) scored on a 75-yard run.

That score, along with Jose Rael’s 38-yard field goal, made it a 13-10 game at halftime. But, midway through the fourth quarter, what looked like a barnburner in the making was . . . gone.

Grossmont quarterback Tom Karlo, who was 2-6 for nine yards passing to that point, found Eskridge in the open with a 52-yard scoring strike, Ron Benitez scooped up fumble and ran 18 yards for a touchdown and an interception by David Arabia set up a nine-yard touchdown pass by Karlo to Jamie Cauldren.

Grossmont scored three touchdowns in 5:07 to break the game open.