Castaic Coyotes football stormed into its non-league game with the Burbank Bulldogs on Friday night.
Senior Gage Gibson ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown, Castaic’s Ashton Moreno then came up with an interception which set up the Coyote offense for another quick score.
Coyote quarterback Tyler Lewis again showcased his dual-threat ability, throwing and rushing for two scores on his four-touchdown night.
Lewis connected with Milan twice in the end zone, one of which was a 21-yard passing TD, while the quarterback had a big run of his own on a 55-yard rushing score.
Castaic coach Sirr Guy Shakir’s game plan of slowing down the Burbank running back tandem of Joseph Caballero and Jacob Mendieta worked wonders and paved the way for the Coyotes 39-7 road victory.
“We had to slow down their running game,” Shakir said in a phone interview. “They have a couple of good running backs. They moved the ball on us more than we would have liked but when we needed a stop we got one.”
The Bulldogs (0-3) were celebrating their school’s 115th year anniversary, leading to an emotional night on the field. Castaic was a little jumbled up on the visitor side but utilized the factor to hype up the team even more.
“There was so much energy in that stadium, especially with everyone being so close on the visitor side,” Shakir said. “It was palpable, our guys could feel it and we were amped up. It was a special day for their program so it got chippy. We had to match their passion, and we did that.”
The defensive effort along with Lewis and Milan’s magic helped put the game away early as Castaic went into halftime up 30-7.
“We had a couple of picks but probably should’ve had more,” Shakir said. “We weren’t able to capitalize, we want to limit the possessions of whoever we’re playing. Defensively, we felt like we had a good game plan and we executed it very well. We played well for the most part, there’s a ton we can still work on but we played well. We got a lot of stops when we really needed them.”
The team may be without defensive end Deacon Andres, who left the game early with an injury. Shakir was still proud of his team’s ability to play on for their hurt teammate.
“Our guys did a good job rallying and playing hard for each other,” Shakir said. “One of our brothers goes down and other guys are eager to step up. I’m proud of them for that, we hope to get our guys back and stay healthy for the rest of the way.”
Castaic football has put together an impressive non-league campaign so far. After a bumpy start at Adelanto, the team has won two straight and allowed just 19 points in that stretch. The Coyotes are just 18 points away from eclipsing their total points in 2022 and have the chance to reach the mark before getting to league play.
The Coyotes have one battle before Foothill League action, a home matchup with the Eastside Lions, the only team Castaic beat last season. Shakir knows the game won’t be easy and will prepare his team for another short week showdown on Thursday.
“We have to cut down on penalties, cut down on turnovers and have no blown assignments,” Shakir said. “Eastside has a new coaching staff, explosive athletes especially in the backfield and a really strong offensive line. We need to stay focused on what we need to do.”
Castaic will host its homecoming game at Canyon High next week where the school can welcome back its first ever graduated class. The Coyotes take on the Lions on Thursday at 7 p.m.
