SUNNYSIDE – Eastmont’s recent trips to Sunnyside, Wildcats coach Jay Foster said, all have had something out of the norm.

If that’s the case, then Friday night’s matchup was business as usual.

After a week of practicing in its gym because of wildfire smoke, Eastmont overcame several long downs-and-distances with big plays, and finally stopped Grizzlies quarterback Julian Villanueva when the Wildcats needed it most in a 35-28 Big Nine victory.

“I don’t know what it is about this place but every time we come down here, we end up in tough situations,” Foster said. “We talked about how there would be adversity down here, because there always is.”

The teams exchanged touchdowns in the first quarter, with Bodie Yale tallying all 15 yards of a short field the Wildcats were given after a big punt return, and Villanueva throwing the first of his four scoring passes, a 7-yarder to Mason Strieck.

Eastmont rode sophomore running back Ethan Akpodiete for a two-score lead. After going 30 yards for a score, Akpodiete took a Peyton Zelinski handoff and went 85 yards on a third and 16.

Sunnyside showed its own propensity for big plays, with Villanueva connecting with Cody Diddens for 46 yards and a score.

Zelinski then capped a 58-yard drive with a short keeper in the final moments of the half for a 27-14 Eastmont halftime lead.

Villanueva and the Grizzlies, though, kept firing back. The junior QB hit Diddens for a 49-yard score to pull Sunnyside back within one score.

“Their quarterback, he’s so tough and we saw it on film,” Foster said. “This kid just keeps coming back. He’s tough and he’s athletic and just makes things miserable for defenses.”

Eastmont’s misdirection ground-game hit back, turning a second and 25 into a 79-yard touchdown sprint for Austin Zelinski.

“They have a couple really good go-to plays in those yardages that they did a really good job coming back to,” Sunnyside coach Marshall Lobbestael said.

The Grizzlies would answer again, as Villanueva found Alonzo Palacios for 35 yards and a score.

Needing a stop, Sunnyside’s defense stepped up. Eastmont drove to the Grizzlies’ 27-yard line midway through the fourth quarter before stalling and giving the ball back to Sunnyside on downs.

Villanueva led the Grizzlies to the Eastmont 5-yard line, converting a third and 14, third and 15 and fourth and 11 along the way.

A holding penalty pushed Sunnyside back, and Villanueva couldn’t muster more heroics. A fourth-and-goal pass from the 10 was tipped and intercepted by Jacobi Mercado with 3:37 left in the game.

“When you get that close to the goal line, everything is compressed and you really have to execute at a high level,” Lobbestael said. “We had a couple small minor flaws that when you add that in with protection (issues), it just becomes tough to execute.”

Eastmont was able to salt away the victory on the ground, improving to 3-1. It’s the third straight victory at Sunnyside for the Wildcats, all by one score.

Sunnyside fell to 0-4 despite Villanueva’s 359 passing yards. Diddens (7 receptions for 158 yards) and Strieck (5-105) each finished with more than 100 yards receiving.