Senior running back Vita Vea broke free for two long touchdowns to spark a first-half burst and lead host Milpitas to a 34-19 victory over Sequoia Friday night in the CCS Division I semifinals. The Trojans (9-3) advance to the championship game next week, which they will host against sixth-seeded San Benito, a 30-13 winner over second-seeded San Benito.
With the score tied 7-7 late in the first quarter, Vea, a 6-5, 280-pounder, scored on a 40-yard run to give Milpitas a 14-7 lead. He then scored the next time he touched the ball, a 25-yard run to extend the Trojans' advantage to 21-7 in the second quarter. Fullback Brandon Sualua added to the lead with a 25-yard run to make it 28-7 at halftime.
Kicker Jesus Gonzalez, who nailed all four of his extra-point attempts, added a pair of field goals in the third quarter, including a 49-yarder that made the score 34-12, Milpitas. Tre Hartley also reached the end zone for the Trojans, catching an 85-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ronnie Reed to open the scoring in the first quarter.
Quarterback Mike Taylor scored on a pair of short touchdown runs for the Cherokees (9-3), who were coming off a big upset win over Menlo-Atherton in the first round of the playoffs. Matt Jenkins also scored for Sequoia on a 2-yard run in the first quarter that briefly tied the game 7-7.
