Palo Alto had a game-tying 2-point conversion called back with less than two minutes to play in the CIF NorCal 6-AA regional Friday night, and that was the difference in a 28-26 loss to St. Vincent de Paul.
The Vikings had just scored a touchdown on a pass from freshman quarterback Justin Fung to Jason Auzenne, then appeared to tie the game at 28-28 with the 2-point conversion. But Palo Alto was whistled for an illegal shift, and the second 2-point attempt failed.
“The play was executed, but we couldn’t stand still for a second,” Palo Alto coach David DeGeronimo said. “It was the right call.”
The Vikings finish the season at 8-6. St. Vincent de Paul (12-2) will play for the 6-AA CIF State title next weekend against Wasco, which is located about 25 miles northwest of Bakersfield.
St. Vincent de Paul shot out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Vikings had cut the lead to 21-20 at halftime on a touchdown by Jeremiah Madrigal, who scored on a fourth-down play. The Mustangs made it 28-20 in the third quarter.
“We couldn’t get them off the field on third down in the third quarter,” DeGeronimo said.
The Vikings had to go with the freshman QB Fung because of a neck injury to senior Declan Parker, who had played in all 13 Palo Alto games before Friday. Fung is the younger brother of star receiver Jeremiah Fung.
DIVISION 5-AA
Pleasant Valley 31, Miramonte 12
Miramonte hung tough for three quarters, but Pleasant Valley’s leading rusher Lucas Benson capped a huge night with two of his three touchdown runs to break open a 17-12 game.
The Matadors (9-4) trailed 17-6 in the third quarter quarterback Carson Blair and WR Jack Quinnild hooked up for their second touchdown of the game, this from 12 yards out. Blair threw a 35-yard score to Quinnild in the first quarter that gave Miramonte its only lead of the game at 6-3.
Benson had three running touchdowns for Pleasant Valley, and he also threw a 12-yard pass from the wildcat formation to put the home team in front 17-6 in the second quarter.
Miramonte narrowed the lead to five points midway through the third period when Blair found Quinnild for six for the second time, but that was as close as the Matadors would get. They failed on a 2-point conversion attempt after their second touchdown. Benson had a 9-yard run a minute into the fourth quarter that increased Pleasant Valley’s lead to 24-12, then he scored three minutes later from 1 yard out.
Pleasant Valley (10-3) will play Ramona-Riverside for the 5-AA CIF State crown next weekend and a time and place to be announced.
Source: www.mercurynews.com