The Rio Mesa High defense made a statement early.
The Spartans secured a safety on the opening drive thanks to a high snap and an interception return for a touchdown by sophomore Romeo Munoz to kickstart a 51-13 rout of host Hueneme to open the 2026 football season on Friday, Aug. 21.
After Week Zero, Rio Mesa has tied its win total from last season when it went 1-9.
“They were stifling,” Rio Mesa head coach Jim Bittner said of his defense. “I would say (Hueneme) were under 10 first downs for the game. Real proud of the defense.”
For a team with as many sophomores on its varsity roster as seniors, Rio Mesa’s defense made impact plays look routine. The Spartans recovered a Hueneme fumble in the second quarter and Neo Lewis reeled in an interception in the third to make it three takeaways total.
None was more vital to seizing the game’s momentum than Munoz’ pick-six that put Rio Mesa up 9-0 early in the first quarter.
“There were three wide receivers,” Munoz said, recalling the play. “They all just go straight, but then I saw the No. 3 receiver pop out for a bubble. I saw that he didn’t catch it, it tumbled and I caught it.”
On top of a defensive masterclass, the Spartans won the battle up front on offense and defense, despite playing without starting center G Abellera. The junior suited up but did not play because of an injury.
Rio Mesa’s offensive front cleared space for junior running back Adrian Delatorre, who carried the ball 19 times for 153 yards and four TDs in the victory.
Sophomore quarterback Landon Edge completed 4 for 11 passes for 89 yards and a touchdown and had a 63-yard TD run that gave the Spartans a 23-0 lead late in the first quarter.
“I ran track this past summer to get faster. I was fast, but I wasn’t that fast,” Edge said. “I was coming up this left sideline right here, I felt great. I looked over my shoulder and no one was in sight and scored my first touchdown. I was hyped. Right after that, I was like, ‘Alright, onto the next one.’ Ready to put more points on the board.”
The Spartans did just that, marching down 41 yards in seven plays in a drive that ended with one of Delatorre’s four scores on the night, this one from 13 yards out to make it a 30-0 lead.
Edge found Justin Watson along the right sideline, who made two defenders miss and streaked 53 yards to score, ballooning the lead the 37-0.
“The old Hueneme would have hung their head and tapped out — they probably would have put 70 on us,” Hueneme head coach Alex Morfin said. “Our guys stood in there, fought and kept getting after it.
“There are some things, obviously, that we have got to correct. We are still a very young team, but we will get there. We just have to get No. 7 the ball and protect No. 18.”
No. 7 being Kelechi Ofoego, the star running back who transferred to Hueneme from Rio Mesa after his freshman year and was electric for Friday night.
The senior carried the ball 12 times for 205 yards and a pair of touchdowns — one from 77 yards out and one from 75.
Ofoego blasted through the Rio Mesa defensive line on the first play of the next Vikings drive, taking it 75 yards to score Hueneme’s first points of the season. Hueneme trailed 37-7 at halftime. Ofoego scored again late in the third quarter on a similar run from 77 yards.
Delatorre’s fourth and final rushing TD in the fourth quarter completed the scoring.
The all-Oxnard season opener was also a reunion for two longtime colleagues.
It was the first time Bittner and Morfin got to face each other on opposite sidelines since Morfin, a member of Bittner’s staff at Rio Mesa for five seasons, left to accept the head coaching job at Hueneme in 2024.
“I didn’t talk to him for like four weeks,” Morfin said of the lead-up to the game. “When there were questions, I always wanted to call him and get his mentorship. Now, I can call him again.
“That’s my guy. He’s like a big brother to me. Big brother won this one.”
The feeling across the field was mutual.
“We have so much history,” Bittner said. “It’s like playing a game against your brother — you never want to give up and you never want to lose, but you love him at the end.”
Dominic Massimino covers football for The Star. He can be reached at dominic.massimino@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcsdominic on Twitter and Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Rio Mesa rolls to season-opening victory over Hueneme
Reporting by Dominic Massimino, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dominic Massimino, Ventura County Star | USA TODAY Network
