‘Unbelievable’ Vasquez leads Aurora Christian to comeback victory
EL PASO, Ill. — With the ball in his hands after trailing the whole game, sophomore quarterback Jesus “Juju” Vasquez relished the opportunity to rally Aurora Christian.
All night long, Vasquez felt like he had his back against the wall against host El Paso-Gridley. But with the season on the line and the Titans packing the box daring him to pass the ball?
It was his time to throw.
“I trust my receivers so much to make those plays,” Vasquez said. “I knew when they packed the box that it was a risk they were taking by singling up my receivers. We have the better guys.”
Vasquez proved to be the best guy Saturday night, leading an improbable comeback by calmingly leading the Eagles on a pair of thrilling touchdown drives in the second half for a 28-24 victory in the Class 2A state quarterfinals.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Vasquez completed 16 of 26 passes for 157 yards and those TDs while also rushing for 31 yards to spark Aurora Christian (11-1), which will host Wilmington (11-1) in next weekend’s semifinals.
First, Vasquez connected with Carson Moreno for a 7-yard TD with 1:59 left in the third quarter to pull within 24-21. With 25 seconds remaining in the game, Vasquez hit Jalen Callaway for another 7-yard TD to give the Eagles their first lead and the win.
Aurora Christian coach David Beebe marveled at how Vasquez led the team back from a 24-7 deficit, especially being a young quarterback facing that type of tense playoff situation.
“The maturity this kid has shown is absolutely extraordinary,” Beebe said of Vasquez. “He’s cool as a cucumber. We have a bad play? OK, no big deal. Let’s go to the next one. He just kept making plays. He’s got it.
“We started to learn it during the season, but this is another ballgame. You’re in the quarterfinals, really? The game is on the line, they’re loading the box and we need the throws. I can’t say enough about Juju.”
Callaway, meanwhile, added 125 yards on 15 carries. Luke Baumann had a 71-yard TD run and a 90-yard kickoff return TD. Moreno caught five passes for 87 yards, all in the second half.
Aaden Adams rushed for 124 yards and two TDs for El Paso-Gridley (11-1). He scored a 67-yard TD on the first play of the game. Owen Adams passed for 103 yards and a TD.
Between the first half and the first drive of the second half, the Eagles turned the ball over three times and were pinned twice inside the 2 on punts. Yet they only trailed 24-14 at halftime.
“We couldn’t do what we did in the first half,” Vasquez said. “We had to do better and just go out there and win. We knew we were going to have to do it little by little.”
That’s when Vasquez started cooking, starting with the TD pass to Moreno. Aurora Christian’s next drive stalled on fourth down, but a three-and-out got the ball back to the Eagles with 3:27 left.
Then, Vasquez really took off. The drive’s first three plays were a 13-yard pass to Moreno, a 14-yarder to Callaway and a 45-yarder to Moreno. Suddenly, it was first-and-10 from the 17.
“Unbelievable — that’s the word,” Callaway said. “As a sophomore doing this, that’s crazy.”
Callaway’s rugged 2-yard run on a fourth-and-2 in the final minute set up the game-winner.
“All the workouts in the weight room, I had to get it,” Callaway said. “I can’t let them down.”
Vasquez threw a fade to the corner to Callaway for the clincher, and now the Eagles return home with a trip to the state championship game on the line.
“It shows how tight we are,” Vasquez said. “Our bond is unbelievable. We know we’re able to count on each other. In the last moments, we’re not scared. We go out there and do what we do.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.