RIVERSIDE - Gabe Panikoski kicked a 23-yard field goal as time expired to give host Riverside City College a 24-21 victory over defending champion College of San Mateo in the 3C2A Football State Championship game Saturday afternoon at Wheelock Stadium.
Riverside (12-1), appearing in a fourth consecutive state championship game, had to respond after the Bulldogs (11-2) completed a 78-yard drive with 2:01 remaining to tie it with a 1-yard run on a direct snap to Valentino Foni (his second such tally of the game). That was set up by a 19-yard third-down pass from Anthony Grigsby to Tyler Bourland, who made a spectacular one-handed catch, that just missed getting into the end zone.
Tigers quarterback Jordan Barton took control after the kickoff, marching from his own 25 to the 6-yard line. The final dramatics were set up by Barton's 17-yard scramble to the seven (from the CSM 24), going out of bounds with nine seconds remaining. Barton, after a 1-yard run to the six, took his final timeout with four seconds to go, setting up Panikoski for the game-winner.
"I thought it was going to go into overtime," said Riverside coach Tom Craft. "But Barton was resourceful. He's been doing that all year."
The ending dramatics also reminded Craft of some history. "We did the same thing 30 years ago to beat San Francisco in the title game," said Craft, who was the Palomar College coach at that time. "We won it on a field goal with three seconds left."
Barton completed 22 of 31 passes for 201 yards, ran (and scrambled) 18 times for 114 yards and two touchdowns - to earn game MVP honors. Riverside running back Bryce Strong rushed for 76 yards and a TD on 16 carries and caught 9 passes for 97 yards - to gain offensive player of the game recognition. The Bob Stangel defensive player of the game was RCC frosh lineman Esaia Bogar with 8 tackles, including a 15-yard sack, and a QB hurry.
Grigsby was the game-passing leader with 236 yards, completing 19-of-26 throws, including a TD. He led the Bulldogs on a 65-yard drive with their first possession after CSM -held the Tigers to a quick initial 3-and-out. A 38-yard Grigsby to Fidel Pitts pass was the big play on the drive, completed with Foni's 3-yard run.
Riverside responded with a 75-yard drive that the Bulldogs appeared to halt at their own 4-yard line. The Tigers had settled for Panikowski's successful 21-yard field goal. The Bulldogs were called for holding, however, and Craft took the points off the board. Now at the two, Strong rushed quickly into the end zone to tie it.
On their next possession, Barton took the Tigers 83 yards in nine plays, scrambling for the final 10 yards with a leap into the end zone for a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter.
San Mateo, however, was determined to tie it at the half. Grigsby took the Bulldogs 65 yards in the final 1:09 of the period, connecting with Pitts on a 42-yard play to get things started and finishing with a 3-yard toss to Terence Loville for the equalizer.
The game remained knotted into the fourth quarter. Barton got things going by engineering a 62-yard drive - capped by his own 14-yard run for a 21-14 advantage with 9:50 remaining.
Led by Strong and Barton, Riverside rushed for 221 yards against the usually stingy Bulldogs and had a total offense of 422 yards.
San Mateo had 111 yards on the ground (with Sanchez and White each netting 46 yards) and 254 passing for 365 total yards. Pitts caught 4 passes for 115 yards and Loville 4 for 43.
Arona Mata'u led CSM on defense with 9 solo tackles and 3 assists.
Riverside captured its second all-time championship, joining its 2019 win, also over CSM. The Bulldogs were looking to be the state's first back-to-back champion since Mt. San Antonio in 2009 and 2010.
(Fred Baer, CCCSIA)
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