Calvary Chapel receiver Jordan Soriano-Cruz (18) tries to break a tackle from a Cornerstone Christian defender in their non-league eight-man football game at Downey High School on Saturday. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)

DOWNEY — To a player, all 21 of them, the Calvary Chapel Downey football team seems to love the fact that they are playing the same game as the ever-popular 11-man counterpart.

They are, but just three players short.

They are just as tough as witnessed at practice this past week in sweltering heat. Just as fast, only not as many and can score at will.

That the Grizzlies did in their opening game of the season by putting a 70-spot against Blair High.

However, they came down to earth quickly last week by having a 50-spot put on them.

“What I tell my teammates, and my other captains as well is ‘Just put that behind you,” senior guard and defensive end Jacob Martinez said. “We can’t get that win back. It’s just a loss and from those losses we have to learn what to do.’”

The Grizzlies will have that opportunity Friday night at Lancaster Baptist (2-0).

In their opening 70-26 win over Blair, quarterback Joshua Lennear led the way offensively with two rushing and two passing TDs.

“Senior year, first game, we’re blowing them out, it felt amazing,” said Lennear, who also plays basketball and baseball. “All together everything was clicking. On offense we did really good, defense we stopped them right away. Everything was just there.”

The senior passed for 64 yards (6 for 10, 1 Int.) and carried the ball four times for 158 yards, which included two long touchdown runs of 65 and 70 yards.

Second year head coach Ennis Lennear said of his son Joshua Lennear in his first game in his senior year was, “He had a great game and has been preparing all summer. He left it all out on the field.”

Coach Lennear is in his third year in the program, as he was an assistant to longtime coach and Athletic Director Tom Osborn in his first year.

The school actually started with the 11-man program years ago but couldn’t compete when the player numbers dwindled, and they would eventually begin play in the eight-man format.

Junior RB/MLB Jose Peraza (4 carries, 59 yards) led the way with three scores on the ground and sophomore WR`/DB Uriah Figueroa rushed for 44 yards. Figueroa also caught three passes for 24 yards and a TD, while senior TE/MLB Elijah Reyes caught three passes for 40 yards and a score.

Defensively, Martinez led the way with five solo tackles, while sacking the quarterback twice.

Sophomore center and defensive end Christian Craver said of the win, “It felt amazing. And to be able to play both ways and on kickoff and kick return to know I could do that and the team could do that as well. Knowing that we could do it, even with the shortage of guys.”

However, the numbers weren’t as numerous in the 50-14 defeat to Cornerstone Christian.

Lennear was 4 for 8 for 65 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 51 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown, while Peraza ran for 44 yards on nine carries. Sophomore wide receivers Gilbert Samano and Jordan Soriano-Cruz each had one catch for 34 and 25 yards, respectively.

Martinez led with six solo tackles.

“We had a nice game plan, but just didn’t execute,” Joshua Lennear said. “First you’re up, then during the game like wow, I mean it’s humbling”

Lennear was referring to the lead the Grizzlies got off to against Cornerstone in the loss.

Calvary Chapel quarterback Joshua Lennear (8) is knocked out of bounds by a Cornerstone Christian defender on a keeper play in their non-league eight-man football game at Downey High School on Saturday. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)

“We were up for the first quarter, going into the second quarter about three minutes and we just broke down mentally,” he added.

Calvary started out on fire in the first quarter with two scores.

They took the opening drive for the 6-0 score, as Lennear ran up the middle for the lead. Peraza highlighted the drive with a 25-yard run.

Cornerstone shocked the Grizzlies on the ensuing kickoff with a 65-yard return for a touchdown. The PAT gave them the brief, 7-6 lead.

The Grizzlies came back for their only other lead of the game with a short whip pass to the outside to Figueroa for the 12-7 lead. A 2-point conversion run by Peraza upped the lead to 14-7.

The Crusaders then ran off 36 consecutive points for the runaway win.

After a defensive stop by Calvary gave them some momentum, but as coach Lennear said, “They stopped us, and they just rolled. We couldn’t stop them after that.

“They (players) are very passionate and didn’t like it that they lost. They gave it all they had.”

In fact, the Grizzlies had only 16 players available and five or six of them were banged up.

On comparing the two games, Figueroa said, “The first game was a blessing, we smacked the team,” he said. “And the second game was just a learning lesson. You just got to move forward and learn from your mistakes as a team and got to do better.”

Figueroa, who is in his first year on varsity, did not play as a freshman as he focused on baseball and wrestling.

Eight-man football, which consists of 108 teams in California and 1,161 nationwide, plays mostly on an 80-yard field in length and 40 yards wide. Typically, two offensive tackles and one skill player are eliminated on offense in the eight-man set up and eliminated on the defense is the defensive back, one linebacker and one defensive lineman.

Assisting coach Lennear is probably the largest staff for any of the eight-man teams at the school in the past. It’s a player’s dream, as the ratio is 3-1 players to coach. They are: Nathan Cerebe (linebackers), Nathan Tachin (offensive coordinator, Asst. AD), Kenny Rogers (quarterbacks), Trent Johnson (DBs), Christian Naakktgeborn (receivers, DBs) and Oscar Ayala (defensive coordinator).

“I love it,” said coach Lennear, of his six assistants. It gives a personal level with the kids. We can teach them something – life lessons… and break things down for them.

“I want to make sure that they understand, and they get it.

“Last season, it was just four of us and was thinking to myself, ‘I’m lacking on what we can give to the boys. When Nathan (Tachin) told me about a couple of other guys, he set up an interview and I fell in love with them and now they’re here and helping us out. We want to create something really big in this program.”

Ennis Lennear graduated from Warren High (‘97) and played for coach Jeffrey Welch.

What they said:

Calvary Chapel Coach Ennis Lennear, Sr.: “We praise our guys on going both ways. We can’t just have guys going just one way (offense or defense). Because it’s a small program, we got to get them ready for offense, defense, special teams or whatever it is we need. Everybody is ready to go.”

Joshua Lennear, QB, Sr.: “Ultimately, I kind of enjoy it (small school atmosphere). You get more of a close nit family. School-wise, I love it because the teachers I know personally and they help me a lot. Honestly, it’s good to have a dad as a coach. I can have a dad and also have a coach, who understands both. I call him coach Lennear on the field.”

Uriah Figueroa, WR/DB, SO.: “Me and my brothers all played wide receiver and DB. My brother (Josiah, class of ‘23) basically taught me what he knew on how to run routes. I learned from him. It’s like me running the same routes as him.

“Sports disciplined me and made a lot out of me.”

Christian Craver, C/DT, So.: “I’ve always played football my whole life. I fell in love with it at a young age and have been playing ever since. I’ve always played the line.

“It’s not really a bother to me that we play eight-man, just as long as I’m playing football and having fun.”

Jacob Martinez, OG/DE, Sr.: “When I was a freshman, the seniors set an example and there was one person that comes to mind and that was Edgar Sactic (Class of ’22). He was always a hard worker and a real good man in the Lord. That’s the example I want to set to my players as well.”

Calvary Chapel football thrives despite small size