The Carson Civil War of 2008 - Battle 5: Grant's Union Uprising

The Carson Civil War of 2008
Battle 5
Grant's Union Uprising


vs.
Grant Union (Sacramento) vs. Long Beach Polytechnic
25 20

The last of three games I watched last night, this was a night where all those close contests Poly had came back to haunt them, and it finally caught up to them. In this case, four out of five for the South isn't bad, it's terrible, even though they won the civil war, the Poly Jackrabbits are going to be ripped apart, and deservedly so.

If you don't have a strong offense to go with a strong defense, you're not gonna win. And such was the case with Raul Lara's team.

From the Long Beach Press-Telegram and the Sacramento Bee.

Outcome: Decisive Southern California victory (4 games to 1)

Grant topples Poly, wins state title

Published: Sunday, Dec. 21, 2008 | Page 1C

CARSON – If there was anyone out there who wondered if the Grant High School football team could play on the big stage, who questioned the Pacers' selection to the game or doubted their ability to compete with the state's top ranked team, the answer was revealed Saturday night.

Heavy underdogs entering the California Interscholastic Federation Open Division State Football Championship Bowl Game, the Pacers upset Long Beach Poly, ranked No. 1 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports and second nationally by ESPN Rise, 25-20 at the Home Depot Center.

Darvin McCauley scored the game-winning touchdown on a 15-yard reception from Grant quarterback Kipeli Koniseti with 1:11 to play.

McCauley and Koniseti's effort not only followed a 55-yard scoring run by the Jackrabbits' Melvin Richardson with 9:39 to play, but also capped a hard-fought game that was full of emotion, crushing hits and a back-and-forth final period.

The Pacers, ranked fifth in the state by Cal-Hi Sports and 37th nationally by ESPN Rise, made history, becoming the first team from Sacramento to win a state championship in football before a statewide television audience and an estimated 10,000 fans.

"We told everybody from the get-go that we were going to get a state championship," Pacers senior linebacker Jeremiah Toma said. "We did it because we believed."

They will also remember "the Drive," an eight-play, 65-yard journey that began with 4:19 left and took Grant off Obscure Street and onto Championship Lane. McCauley, who had eight catches for an eye-popping 135 yards and two touchdowns, helped lead the way.

"I had their defensive backs beat all game," he said. "I told coach, just throw me the ball and I'm going to get it for him, and I did."

Grant largely controlled the Sac-Joaquin Section over the last 20 years with a section-leading 18 consecutive playoff berths, 15 league titles and six section titles.

It continued its dominance early thanks to a stingy defense that slowed the Jackrabbits' heralded running attack and the performance of Koniseti, the Pacers' stellar quarterback who plays with a linebacker's mentality.

Koniseti, who completed 13 of 26 passes for 236 yards, constantly showed his emotion throughout the game, especially on big plays in which he was involved.

Before an enthusiastic Grant crowd, which was on its feet shouting a choir-like "Pacers … Pacers … Pacers … " chant on seemingly every play, Koniseti threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to McCauley in the first quarter and scored from a yard out on in the second, giving the Pacers (14-0) a surprising 13-0 lead.

It further proved the Pacers had no intention of wilting under the pressure of the Poly mystique and the watchful eye of Poly alumnus and rap superstar Snoop Dogg, who attended the game wearing the Jackrabbits green and gold.

Poly, which has also produced the likes of actress Cameron Diaz, legendary tennis player Billie Jean King, baseball player Tony Gwynn, and NFL football players Willie McGinest and Gene Washington, entered the game with more tradition and a more decorated résumé. It has 18 Southern Section championships and the claim of having sent more players to the NFL (59) than any other program in the country.

The Pacers, however, didn't care. If pressure and Poly's prominence resembled a Mike Tyson uppercut, the Pacers endured the blow, and landed a few punches of their own.

Resembling the blue-collar mentality of Del Paso Heights, Grant displayed the prolific offense that helped it cruise to its sixth Sac-Joaquin Section championship and a three-game stretch during the regular season in which it outscored its opponents 205-0.

The Pacers racked up 369 yards of offense to Poly's 243. They had 15 first downs and the Jackrabbits' eight. More importantly, the Pacers limited the Jackrabbits' running game to 79 yards.

Poly (14-1) trailed only 13-7 at halftime, though, and Iuta Tepa and the passing tandem of Morgan Fennell and Jordan Johnson were key reasons. Pacers running back Devontae Booker fumbled at the Poly 30, and Tepa recovered and returned it to his own 40. Two plays later, Fennell hooked up with Johnson on a 65-yard score, cutting the Pacers lead to 13-7 with 4:52 left in the second quarter.

Later, the Jackrabbits' Juwuan Brown blocked a Grant punt, and Tyller Robinson picked it up, returned it nine yards for the score and gave the Poly its first lead at 14-13 with 3:16 to play in the third quarter.

The Pacers bounced back.

"We stood up to a very good football team," said Grant coach Mike Alberghini, who strives on the "We versus the world" slogan.

"This was a total team effort, and tonight was our night."


INCHES SHORT

Grant scores in final 90 seconds to upset Poly for the state title

The Carson Civil War of 2008 - Battle 4: The Cathedral Catholic Crusade

The Carson Civil War of 2008
Battle 4
The Cathedral Catholic Crusade

vs.

St. Mary's (Stockton) vs. Cathedral Catholic (San Diego)

34 37

The second of three games I watched yesterday, the Dons from San Diego came from behind to win the Division II bowl game over a tenacious St. Mary's side. After this game concluded, this victory made the South 4 for 4 heading into the Open Division match.

From the San Diego Union Tribune and the Stockton Record.
Gaffney's 329 yards rushing, 5 TDs lead Dons

UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
9:23 a.m. December 21, 2008

CARSON – In Tyler, Cathedral trusts.

Tyler Gaffney, the Dons' beyond-prolific running back, turned in a performance for the ages last night, leading Cathedral Catholic to a come-from-behind, 37-34 win over Stockton St. Mary's in the Division II State Championship Bowl at the Home Depot Center.

Gaffney rushed for 329 yards and five touchdowns – both state bowl game records – and he set the San Diego Section season rushing record with 2,866 yards.

“It's amazingly perfect – 14-0 this season. A (section Division III) championship. League champs. State champs. There's nothing more you can ask for as a senior,” Gaffney said.


It was a night for defense to take a back seat to the stars on offense. The teams combined for 1,051 yards and 44 first downs. While Gaffney thrilled on the ground, St. Mary's quarterback Cody Vaz was equally impressive in the air. He dissected the Cathedral secondary, completing 31-of-46 passes for 336 yards and four touchdowns.



“That kid is unreal,” Cathedral coach Sean Doyle said of Vaz. “Luckily our guy was just as good as their guy was tonight because he kept bringing them back.”

It's the second time a San Diego Section team has won the Division II bowl game. Last year Oceanside defeated Novato 28-14.

Last night's back-and-forth contest featured one big play after another. Gaffney would break a long run, Vaz would convert a critical third-down pass. The Dons would score, the Rams would answer.


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“I figured it would be an offensive shootout,” Gaffney said. “Our defense is good, but Vaz has been tearing it up.

“This means everything,” Gaffney said. “Any good team goes to (section). But it takes a real team to win state. That's what we wanted to come out and prove.”

Ultimately, it was an incomplete pass from Vaz on fourth down that turned the ball over to the Dons with 1:59 to play. Needing to convert a third down to run out the clock, Dons' quarterback Parker Hipp looked to – who else? – Gaffney. A 16-yard completion, followed by a victory formation kneel-down, and the win was secured.

“I've never been a part of anything that crazy,” Hipp said. “It's a storybook ending to a perfect season. I couldn't love my teammates any more than I do right now.”

Of the 10 plays that went for 20 yards or more, three came in a breathtaking, two-minute span in the fourth quarter.

Trailing 27-23, the Dons converted a fourth-and-9 at the Rams 32 when Hipp handed off to Gaffney, who passed to Hipp for a 31-yard gain. Gaffney walked in for a 1-yard score on the next play.

“We ran it twice (this season),” Hipp said. “But it never worked that perfectly. It was the perfect call by the coaches.”

On the ensuing kickoff, St. Mary's Chad West put the Rams back on top with a 96-yard touchdown return.

Two plays after the kickoff, Gaffney broke loose on a 51-yard touchdown run, putting the Dons ahead for good.

While it was a watershed night for Gaffney, the offensive line reveled in opening up holes for him.

“That was the best D-line we've seen,” Cathedral tackle Everett Benyard said. “We love the competition. That's what we dream of, a defensive line that comes in and thinks they can hang with us.”

St. Mary's coach Tony Franks, whose team finished 12-3, said Gaffney was as advertised.

“He lived up to the hype,” Franks said. “We weren't real familiar up in our neck of the woods with the kinds of things he'd accomplished this year. But we sure are now.”


Kevin Gemmell: (619) 718-5304; kevin.gemmell@uniontrib.com

St. Mary's brilliant in defeat
St. Mary's leaves it all on the field in Division II championship game

CARSON - St. Mary's will be remembered for playing in perhaps the best game in the three-year history of the CIF State Championship Bowl Games, but the Rams won't be remembered as Division II champions.

Cathedral Catholic running back Tyler Gaffney rushed for 329 yards on 33 carries with five touchdowns to lead the Dons to a dramatic 37-34 win over the Rams on Saturday in the Division II title game at the Home Depot Center.

St. Mary's, led by quarterback Cody Vaz and receiver Louie Lechich, stayed with Cathedral the entire game.

A potential game-winning drive ended when Vaz's fourth-and-3 pass to Louie Lechich from the Dons' 33-yard line fell incomplete with less than two minutes remaining.

"I knew it was going to come down to a few plays at the end of the game, and that's what happened," St. Mary's coach Tony Franks said. "Our kids are absolute, 100 percent champions. ... I couldn't be more proud of the team and the staff and the effort we put forth tonight."

Vaz finished with a bowl-record 336 yards on 31-of-46 passing with four touchdown passes. Lechich, who had 157 yards receiving and two touchdowns, set a new bowl game record for catches with 15.

The teams combined for more than 1,000 yards of total offense.

Cathedral Catholic set a bowl game record with 590 yards, and St. Mary's had 451, 125 rushing and 326 passing.

St. Mary's took its first lead, 27-23, with 9:38 remaining when Vaz connected with Alex Michaels for the second time.

Cathedral Catholic countered with an eight-play, 70-yard drive that Gaffney capped with a 1-yard touchdown run, his fourth, putting the Dons in front, 30-27.

The Rams took the lead right back when Chad West returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown.

But Gaffney gave the Dons the lead for good with a 51-yard touchdown run with 4:45 remaining.

Contact reporter Stephen Roberson at (209) 546-8272 or sroberson@recordnet.com.

The Carson Civil War of 2008 - Battle 3: The St. Bonaventure Blitzkrieg

The Carson Civil War of 2008
Battle 3

The St. Bonaventure Blitzkrieg

vs.
Cardinal-Newman (Santa Rosa) vs. St. Bonaventure (Ventura)

6 28


The first of three games I attended last night, St. Bonaventure was a team my Lakewood Lancers faced a few years ago. We won that game, but this year's team would have given us fits. Nonetheless, this was a third straight victory for the South.

From the Ventura County Star and Santa Rosa Press-Democrat.


Secondary delivers first-rate performance

By Loren Ledin (Contact)
Sunday, December 21, 2008

CARSON — St. Bonaventure High defensive backfield coach Andy Gibson has a special nickname for his guys in the secondary.

"I call them the jet fighters," said Gibson. "With their speed, the way they attack and hang with anybody, that's what they are."

Amidst the postgame celebration on the football field at the Home Depot Center, he offered visual representation. Gibson extended his arms horizontally to simulate a flying aircraft.

"They even do this in the pregame warmups to get ready," Gibson said with a broad smile. "They get ready to attack."

On Saturday, with the Seraphs seeking the perfect ending to another stellar season, the secondary shot holes in Cardinal Newman's vaunted pass offense.

The Seraphs limited the high-flying Cardinals to just a pair of field goals, sacked quarterback Randy Wright five times and yielded just 127 passing yards en route to a 28-6 victory in the CIF State Division III championship bowl game.

Even for a program that has piled up eight CIF-Southern Section crowns in the past 10 years, including the last two in the Northern Division, there are more worlds to conquer.

St. Bonaventure, on the heels of last year's victory in the same Division III game, becomes the first California high school team in the modern era to win two bowl games.

"I never would have believed," said Troy Hill, a junior cornerback and two-year starter. "To win two bowl games is an amazing feeling."

Fellow cornerback J.B. Dock happily concurred.

"It was our goal to go back to back in bowl victories," the senior said. "I can't imagine a better way to go out as a high school player than to win another bowl game."

Hill and Dock, the starting cornerbacks, and safeties Tim Bennett and Joe Luna played a vital role in the happy finale.

Entering Saturday's matchup, Cardinal Newman's spread offense had amassed 544 points en route to a 13-0 record, including the North Coast Section Division II championship. Wright, the 6-foot-2 senior quarterback, had completed an impressive 70 percent of his passes while piling up 2,571 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Against the Seraphs, the Cardinals hit a stone wall.

"We knew they were going to test us, and come after us often," said Dock. "What we wanted to do was give up nothing behind us. We really didn't want to give up anything.

"We really played with a lot of confidence, because we've really done the job all season."

Hill said the Seraphs' big asset — prohibitive team speed — proved to be the difference.

"With our speed, we feel like we can make all the plays and get to the ball just as well as any receiver," he said. "We feel like we can stop anybody."

Dylan Davis, the Seraphs' junior linebacker and top tackler, said he is surrounded by playmakers.

"Our defensive line gives such a great push," he said. "They deserve a lot of the credit. But our secondary guys can cover anybody. Not many guys are going to get open."

Cardinal Newman running back Jeff Badger was impressed.

"That's the best defense we have played against all year," he said. "They have so much team speed."

The secondary proved indomitable in the first half, helping the Seraphs overcome two fumbles and one interception.

The Seraphs' five sacks were all "coverage" sacks, or the fact Wright could find no receivers open.

Cardinal Newman's one long sustained drive covered 76 yards in the first half and reached the St. Bonaventure 5-yard line. But incompletions on second and third down forced the Cardinals to settle for a 22-yard field goal.

At game's end, after turning in a stellar day's work on defense, Dock got his chance for two "carries." He helped carry the ice bucket in the waning seconds that first doused head coach Todd Therrien, and then splashed assistant coach Gibson.

"There is a lot to celebrate," Dock said with a laugh.

St. Bonaventure 28, Cardinal Newman 6

At Home Depot Center, Carson

Cardinal Newman 0 6 0 0— 6

St. Bonaventure 14 0 7 7—28

First quarter

SB — Hall 53 run (Kirk kick), 2:56.

SB — Langkilde 2 run (Kirk kick), 0:21.

Second quarter

CN — FG Wright 22, 7:19.

CN — FG Wright 36, 0:00.

Third quarter

SB — Blackledge 25 run (Kirk kick), 4:18.

Fourth quarter

SB — Gibson 14 pass from Lo. Meyer (Kirk kick), 10:15.

FB Teams Stats: CN SB

First downs 19 17

Rushes-yards 40-127 26-196

Passing yards 127 147

Total yards 254 343

Comp-Att-Int 19-31-0 11-16-1

Punts-avg. 3-22.7 1-49.0

Fumbles-lost 0-0 2-2

Penalties-yards 2-10 5-40

Sacked-yards lost 5-28 0-0

RUSHING — Cardinal Newman: Badger 16-79, Ferguson 13-57, Wright 11-(—9). St. Bonaventure: Blackledge 10-89, Hall 7-78, Schouder 3-25, Langkilde 3-9, Rodarte 2-1, team 1-(—2).

PASSING — Cardinal Newman: Wright 19-31-0-127. St. Bonaventure: Lo. Meyer 10-15-1-140, Kirk 1-1-0-7.

RECEIVING — Cardinal Newman: Amaral 10-69, Miller 3-32, North 2-19, Badger 2-9, Ferguson 2-(—2). St. Bonaventure: Rodarte 4-58, Gibson 3-51, Z. Meyer 1-19, Ledesma 1-9, Langkilde 1-7, Hall .

MISSED FIELD GOALS — None.

TEAM RECORDS — Cardinal Newman 13-1, St. Bonaventure 14-1.


===
Newman loses in state final 28-6 to St. Bonaventure


By RICH RUPPRECHT
PRESS DEMOCRAT

Published: Saturday, December 20, 2008 at 3:17 p.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, December 20, 2008 at 7:39 p.m.

THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

CARSON — There was no exciting ending, no overtime like the last time. St. Bonaventure of Ventura was that good.

Cardinal Newman stayed close for a half, but failed to score an offensive touchdown for the first time in three years and St. Bonaventure showed off a big-play offense that ended with a 28-6 Seraphs win in the Division III state football championship game Saturday afternoon at the Home Depot Center.

Cardinal Newman started out good, Jonathan Steele causing a fumble on St. Bonaventure’s first possession, but even after putting together long, time-consuming first half drives, the Cardinals were unable to punch the ball into the endzone. Despite dominating the first half clock and running 40 plays to St. Bonaventure’s 19, Newman trailed 14-6 at intermission.

“At halftime I really thought we could win the game,” Newman coach Paul Cronin said. “They were just so fast and we had a small margin of error.”

Newman wide receiver Wade Amaral had a game-high 10 receptions, but for only 69 yards and he was never able to get away from St. Bonaventure’s lightning quick secondary.

“We came out and thought we could hang with them, but that is a really good team,” Amaral said. “We tried to mix it up.”

Newman quarterback Randy Wright didn’t have time to look for second and third receivers. He was sacked five times and hurried his throws frequently. He was 19-of-31 passing for a season-low 127 yards.

“They blitzed a lot and they were all pretty fast,” Wright said.

Jeff Badger, who led all rushers with 81 yards on 16 carries, said he was exhausted at the end of the game, having to play both offense and defense.

“We just got tired,” Badger said. “By far that was the best team we’ve played this season.”

St. Bonaventure game-breaker, back Patrick Hall, who was used sparingly by coach Todd Therrien, scored on the Seraphs’ third possession, looking like a USC tailback, running 53 yards for a touchdown. Actually, Hall has committed to USC as a defensive back.

A poor punt of only five yards by Wright, set up another St. Bonaventure score at the end of the first quarter.

Starting at Newman’s 20, it only took three running plays for the Seraphs to score, ending with a two-yard burst up the middle by fullback Marcus Langkilde.

Newman’s best quarter was easily the second, but the Cardinals could manage just two field goals by Wright.

A 16-play, 81-yard drive ended with Wright kicking a 22-yard field goal.

The next time Newman got the ball, Joe Ferguson rushed for 11 yards and Badger for 16 as the Cardinals drove to St. Bonaventure’s 35. But the next four plays resulted in minus yardage as Wright was sacked on fourth down for a 10-yard loss.

Teyo Green then intercepted Seraphs junior quarterback Logan Meyer and Newman had yet another scoring chance at the end of the first half.

Wright threw two passes to Amaral for 14 yards and Ferguson ran for 11, putting the ball on the 19, but with under 20 seconds to go. Wright threw incomplete and then kicked a 36-yard field goal as time expired.

Cronin said he told the players at the half to keep doing what they did in the first half and try and score on its first possession. It nearly happened.

After 12- and nine-yard completions to Amaral, yet another Newman drive stalled and St. Bonaventure took over on its own 40 as Newman failed to convert on fourth-and long.

“It’s one thing to be third-and-three against that defense and it’s another to be third-and-long all the time,” Cronin said.

St. Bonaventure made it an uphill climb for Newman by scoring again on its first possession of the second half. Big plays were a 24-yard pass from Meyer to Drew Gibson and a 25-yard touchdown run by Devon Blackledge.

St. Bonaventure made it 28-6 early in the fourth quarter on a 14-yard TD pass from Meyer to Gibson.

Newman put together one more impressive drive, Badger having a 10-yard run and Casey Miller a 16-yard reception to highlight it, but Wright was stopped on a hard hit at the seven on third-and-long and Ferguson was thrown for a three-yard loss on fourth down.

Of Newman’s offense, Therrien said, “They were dinking and dunking us (with short passes), but you can only go so far down the field doing that. I thought we played hard and played together. This is one of the best secondaries in the history of St. Bonaventure.”

Newman came here two years ago and lost in overtime to Oaks Christian.

There were tears and plenty of hugs in Newman’s locker room.

“That’s a great team,” Ferguson said. “We were prepared. It was two great teams and someone had to lose. This hurts. We worked hard together for 11½ months and then it just ends.”

“We had to play a near perfect game to win and we didn’t,” said Newman defensive coordinator Dennis Bruno. “It hurts now, it will hurt a little less in a week and a little less in a month. This season there was a lot of pain and a lot of memories.”