Downey quarterback Oscar Rios (9) makes a pass as they play Westlake (Utah) in their non-league football game at Downey High School in on Friday September 12, 2024. Downey defeated Westlake 21-0. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)

DOWNEY — For the first time since the COVID-shortened season in 2021, the Downey High School Vikings have started the season 4-0, with a 21-0 shutout victory over visiting Westlake of Saratoga Springs, Utah Friday (September 13) at Allen Layne Stadium.

The win was the first shutout of the season for the Vikings and first since early last season when they defeated Pasadena, 58-0.

Up next for the Vikings is a road trip to Arizona, as they travel to Mesa to take on the undefeated Red Mountain Lions (3-0) Friday (Sept. 20).

The Vikings are coming off perhaps their highest point total in a game in years in week three, as both teams combined for 137 points in a 69-68 win the previous week over Millikan. That win came on a game-clinching touchdown throw by junior quarterback Oscar Rios to senior Bernardo Blanco.

“That game was crazy,” Rios said. “We didn’t expect to put that many points up and didn’t expect to have that kind of a game. We worked for it, and it showed. We never turned on each other when it was bad.

“The offensive line was tremendous, and Blanco had a heck of a game and Damani (Porras) had three receiving touchdowns.”

Last Friday’s 21-0 win over Westlake featured a defense that wasn’t seen in the Millikan game.

It was led by junior linebacker Aidan Gomez with nine solo tackles and three sacks. Junior linebackers Jordan Castaneda and Oscar Aguilar recorded five and four tackles, respectively for the Vikings.

“Honestly, it’s a big morale booster after giving up 68 points and it just shows who we are,” said Gomez, of the shutout over Westlake. “It shows that we are the Downey Vikings. We’re never going to back down, even after having a not-so-good-game.

“In a game like that which was zero to zero for so long, I was just happy that we just scored.”

The highlight for Gomez was his three sacks and he let everyone know about it after his third one. On my last one I threw up three fingers, that’s three, three sacks.”

Gomez stands 5-9 but plays much bigger.

“I think that size doesn’t matter at all,” said Gomez, who transferred in from St. Paul after his freshman year. “One of biggest mottos on the team is to play smart, fast and physical on the defensive side of the ball. That’s what I go by.”

After a nearly scoreless first half, the Vikings finally got on the scoreboard in the remaining seconds before halftime.

“We called a timeout and there’s about 12 seconds left, and I said to (quarterback Oscar Rios), we have two plays,” Downey coach Jack Williams said. “Unless you be Oscar, and you run around then we only have one play. He then said to me, ‘coach let’s get it on the first play.’”

Rios, who has verbally committed to Purdue University this past summer, told his star receiver Porras, ‘I’ll see you in the endzone’”.

Porras and Rios had talked about the play in the huddle.

That he did seconds later, as Porras ran a corner route, and Rios tossed a 28-yard strike to Porras for the 6-0 lead at the half.

“Rios told me to meet me in the back of the endzone,” Porras said. “I told him ‘I got him’. I did a post corner at the back pile on. Toe tap, touchdown.

“Last year I saw that we had a connection towards the end of the year, and we built it over the summer and now it’s just go, go, go, Porras said. “We’re like peanut butter and jelly.”

Porras caught six passes for 64 yards in the game, which included a 2-point conversion pass. Porras is the team leader with eight of the 10 Rios TDs this season.

“In the first half, it was a defensive battle,” Williams said. “We couldn’t find a rhythm.”

Westlake had three division I commits with Williams adding, “They had one of the best defensive players I have ever seen.”

The second score came with under a minute left in the third quarter as the defenses went back and forth.

Blanco gave the Vikings a 12-0 lead with a 3-yrd TD run, which was followed by a 2-point conversion pass by Rios to Porras for the 14-0 lead.

Blanco, who had just scored four touchdowns the week before in the Millikan game, has seven on the season and 421 yards on 64 carries.

On the touchdown drive, Rios completed a few short passes, culminating with a run by Blanco, who bounced outside and scored. “I made a good read, and I pulled back and it was a wide-open touchdown,” Blanco said.

“He was determined to score,” Williams said.

Williams added of his team this year. “We’ve been dominant on both sides of the ball,” he said. “That’s been the trend since I’ve been here. This year, it’s tough to play us.”

That is evident of their total yardage as both receiving and rushing are fairly equal. Rios has accounted for 1,159 yards and the backs have totaled 841 yards.

“I’ve been playing this game since I was five years old,” said Rios, who transferred in from Orange after his freshman year. “Since five to 12 years old it was just fun. When I got to be 14 or 15, I could do something.”

That all paid off when he committed to Purdue.

Blanco, who had a game-high 89 yards rushing on 16 carries and two receptions for 31 yards, added a second touchdown early in the fourth quarter with a 28-yard score. Sophomore kicker Danny Yocupicio added the extra point for the 21-0 final.

“That touchdown felt good because I wasn’t having the best game,” Blanco said. “When I scored that touchdown, I was super hyped. It was a nice run.”

Downey football off to best start since 2021