Three football players from Temecula and Murrieta were part of the Dec. 20, 2012, Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

Brigham Young University receiver Skyler Ridley, San Diego State University defensive lineman Jon Sanchez, and SDSU defensive back Darius Guillory played in the game which ended with Brigham Young on the favorable end of the 23-6 score.

Sanchez had one solo tackle and one assisted tackle against the Cougars, both in the first quarter with the Aztecs holding a 3-0 lead. His solo tackle stopped Jamaal Williams one yard in front of the line of scrimmage when the Cougars had the ball at midfield on third down two yards short of the first down marker. On the previous play, Sanchez and Nat Behre combined to bring down receiver Richard Wilson and limit the pass to five yards.

Sanchez graduated from Vista Murrieta High School in 2011 and was on San Diego State’s scout team as a true freshman. He made his collegiate debut during the Aztecs’ 2012 season opener at Washington and made one tackle against the Huskies.

"He’s a big strong kid who’s going to get nothing but better and play more as his years go on," said SDSU head coach Rocky Long.

The 6’2" Sanchez was listed at 265 pounds for the 2012 season. He was on the field for an average of between 15 and 20 plays a game during 2012 and played in all 12 regular-season games. He made 19 tackles, including two for losses, and broke up one pass during the regular season.

Guillory, a 2011 Chaparral High School graduate, was also a redshirt freshman during 2012. He saw some action on special teams as well as in the defensive backfield. Long believes that Guillory will have more of a role in future years.

"Right now he’s a little young," Long said.

Guillory also played all 12 regular-season games, making nine tackles.

"Darius is our backup aztec right now, which is a very critical position in our defense," Long said.

Although SDSU’s nickname is the Aztecs, in Long’s quote "aztec" is lower-case as it is part of Long’s defensive formation. San Diego State uses five defensive backs with the "aztec" lining up in the center and two "warrior" backs also lining up between the two cornerbacks. Behre, who was a junior in 2012, is the starting aztec.

Ridley did not catch a pass during the Poinsettia Bowl. During the regular season he played in all 12 games and caught 20 passes for 206 yards. He had six receptions, including his only touchdown of the year, in the Cougars’ opener against Washington State. Ridley also made three tackles during

the season.

"Skyler Ridley is one of the real success stories of this season," said BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall.

Ridley is still a walk-on player, meaning that he did not have a scholarship.

"Tries very, very hard. Catches everything thrown at him," Mendenhall said. "He’s small, he’s lean, but he makes up for his size with a lot of determination."

Ridley was listed at 6’0" and 182 pounds for 2012, which was considered the junior season for the Murrieta Valley High School graduate even though it constituted his collegiate debut. Ridley used his redshirt year in 2007 and was on the Cougars’ scout team that year. He served a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints mission in England before returning to BYU. Ridley was on the scout team in 2010 and 2011, which were his freshman and sophomore eligibility years.

Junior linebacker Tyler Beck played in four of BYU’s first five games of 2012 before an injury ended his season.

"Tyler has a lot of promise," Mendenhall said. "We’re hopeful that he can get healthy for our season next year."

Beck played in two games as a true freshman in 2007 before serving his LDS mission in Houston. The Vista Murrieta High School graduate utilized his redshirt year in 2010 and played in nine games during 2011 while making nine tackles that year.

San Diego State’s roster also included two true freshmen from the Valley who redshirted during 2012. Quarterback Matt Morin attended Chaparral High School and wide receiver Garrett Kale played for Great Oak.