The Bonita Vista Barons and Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders have elevated their games to the next level – the California state bowl championship level, that is. Both Metro Conference teams won exciting Southern California regional playoff contests on Friday, albeit under rain-drenched conditions, to advance to next Saturday’s state championship games.
This marks the farthest that any high school football teams from South County have advanced up the CIF playoff ladder. The teams are to be lauded on their accomplishments by all within the Metro Conference.
The history-making moments are to be gleefully celebrated:
Bonita Vista defeated Anaheim Canyon, 24-21, in dramatic come-from-behind fashion at Southwestern College. The Barons (12-2) will face Hanford (13-1) for the Division IV-AA championship.
Mater Dei Catholic handed previously undefeated Riverside Notre Dame a 21-14 defeat to the delight of its home fans. The Crusaders (13-1) will meet Immanuel (11-2) for the Division V-AA championship.
Hanford topped Sonora, 42-18, to capture Friday’s Northern California regional championship title while Reedley Immanuel defeated Bradshaw Christian, 31-21, to win Friday’s Northern California regional title.
State bowl championship sites are yet to be fully announced, though Hanford will host Bonita Vista and Mater Dei Catholic will host Immanuel. Both games kick off at 6 p.m.
Obviously, the head coaches of both teams were glowing in the aftermath of victory.
“The last-second win over Canyon was just another example of how resilient this team is,” BVHS head coach Chris Thompson explained. “They have been on a mission all year and we get to continue that one more week.”
“We are obviously ecstatic to still be playing,” MDCHS head coach John Joyner noted. “Last week we pulled out a tough one versus a great team in Notre Dame. They had a very tough defense and the weather had our timing a little off. But our defense played well again, caused some huge turnovers and the boys pulled one off. It is a very exciting time and we feel blessed to get a chance at a state championship.”
Metro Conference athletic coordinator Joe Heinz said the recent reorganization of the San Diego Section into competition-based performance tiers has placed South County teams on a more even playing field.
“It shows that the way CIF is doing things on a competitive balance has made all the difference,” Heinz explained. “These games (regional playoffs) will tell us how we compare at that level at the state level. It says something about South Bay football. To have two teams in the regional playoffs and to have two section champions is a great thing. It brings more recognition to South Bay football.”
Greg Bell rushed for 276 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead Metro-Mesa League champion Bonita Vista to its record showing. The east side Chula Vista school is celebrating its 50th anniversary and the school’s team is in its 49th season of varsity play.
However, BVHS had never had a section football champion until last week, and now the Barons are playing for a state championship.
Likewise, Mater Dei Catholic’s football program has reached new heights. C.J. Verdell rushed for two touchdowns and quarterback Chris Jones hit receiver Eli Shelton on a 68-yard pass play in driving rain in the third quarter to account for the Crusaders’ three touchdowns.
The loss was the first of the season for Notre Dame (14-1), which was enjoying its best season in school history.
Inclement weather was an issue at both South Bay playing sites, as well as in nearby Coronado, where lightning forced a one-hour delay. There was a 30-minute delay at Southwestern College.
Rain came down in torrents in the second quarter and throughout the extended halftime but stopped for the second half when the Barons and Comanches retook the field.
Thompson said he felt the poor weather conditions impacted both teams. “That was the main reason that led to several turnovers for both teams,” he said.
There were four interceptions and two lost fumbles in the Bonita Vista-Canyon game alone.
Going the distance
Mater Dei Catholic never trailed in last Friday’s regional, though the game was tied twice. The Crusaders opened scoring in the first quarter as Verdell ripped off a 65-yard scoring run. The Titans tied the game in the second quarter on a four-yard run by Ian Zamudio and the score remained deadlocked until Jones hit Shelton on a weaving 68-yard catch-and-carry for the only score in the third quarter.
The Crusaders expanded their lead to 21-7 when Verdell ripped off a 53-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Notre Dame made it close on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Niles Harrell to Jaden Gardner later in the quarter.
But the San Diego Section Division IV champions prevailed.
The two touchdowns hiked Verdell’s TD count to 31 on the season. The junior scoring wizard has amassed 24 rushing touchdowns, four receiving touchdowns and one touchdown on a kick-off return.
The Barons and Comanches’ contest went back-and-forth, with turnovers dictating momentum shifts throughout the contest.
Bonita Vista, the section’s Division III champion, went ahead, 7-0, on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Posada to Quentin Harrison in the first quarter. However, Canyon leveled the score 7-all when Garrett McDowell bulled into the end zone on a 10-yard pass play from quarterback Jason Harman.
The Comanches (9-6) turned a Posada interception into points when Noah White caught a short pass in the end zone with 3:46 remaining before halftime.
But Bell catapulted his team back into the lead on two running plays. The first covered 57 yards to position the ball at the Canyon four-yard line and the second carry ended with Bell in the end zone.
The Barons had a chance to tack on more points but the Comanches blocked a short Bonita Vista field goal attempt with 11 seconds to play in the second quarter.
The score at halftime was 14-14.
The extended halftime did not produce any further lightning but did extend the game to nearly three hours and added additional misery to fans huddled in the stands under umbrellas or out in the open.
Defense, especially on the part of Bonita Vista, characterized the second half of play. The Comanches also appeared to have Bell’s running habits figured out, though he would save his most important run for last.
Matt Michaud kicked a 22-yard field goal with seven minutes to play in the third quarter and the score remained in the Barons’ favor until 4:27 was left to play in the fourth quarter when Harman threw his third touchdown of the game to Avery Jones from a yard out to put Canyon ahead 21-17.
Bonita Vista put its offense and defense into high gear in the final two minutes.
Bell scored on a 19-yard around end to put the Barons in front, 24-21, with two minutes left, and Trevian Lanier intercepted a Comanche pass with under a minute to play, returning the ball to the Canyon 18-yard line to end the game.
Atoa Fox finished the game with an interception, fored fumble and fumble recovery for Bonita Vista.
Posada completed 19 of 30 passing attempts for 227 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
Bonita Vista finished the game with 498 total offensive yards, including 271 rushing yards.
Harrison had six catches for 96 yards while Ethan Williams had four catches for 45 yards, Jake Rozar had two catches for 34 yards and Keenan Ellis had one catch for 23 yards.
Tristan Janke led the Barons with 12 defensive tackles, followed by teammate Santiago DeArmas with 10 total tackles. Fox also recovered a fourth quarter fumble.
Bell ripped off one 33-yard kick-off return to finish the memorable game with 316 all-purpose yards.
He credited the play of his offensive lineman as the key to his performance.
“We’ve been a second-half team all year, and that’s what happened today,” Bell told a KUSI-TV camera crew on site.
Bell had been injured on the previous play to scoring the game-winning touchdown but refused to let that stop him, saying he had “to show my heart” to the rest of his teammates to get into the end zone.
Bell has now rushed for 2,493 yards and leads Bonita Vista with 33 touchdowns, including 32 rushing touchdowns, on the season.
All six San Diego Section champions advanced to Southern California regional championship game pairings. Five of those teams played on Friday, with three winning.
Section Division V Coronado defeated Belmont, 14-0, to capture the Division VI-AA Southern California regional title. However, both Helix (section Open Divisio champion) and Oceanside (section Division I champion) lost in games played in the Los Angeles/Orange County areas.
Rancho Bernardo became the fourth section champion to earn a state bowl berth by defeating Oak Hill, 31-30, last Saturday on the road.
The Broncos (12-2) will host Sacred Heart Prep (11-3) in Saturday’s Division III-A bowl contest.
“It’s very exciting to see San Diego teams have success beyond our section,” San Diego Section Commissioner Jerry Schniepp said. “I think it speaks to the ever-increasing level of competition our teams are rising to. We’ve always had great athletes in the section and we’re developing more and more which results in better teams each year.”
MATCHUPS SET FOR 2015 CIF STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP BOWL GAMES
Inaugural 13 State Championship Bowl Games to Occur Throughout the State
SACRAMENTO -– Following CIF State Regional Bowl Game play, the schedule is now finalized for the 2015 CIF State Football Championship Bowl Games. Five games, Divisions Open through II-AA, will be held Friday-Saturday, Dec.18-19, at Hornet Stadium, Sacramento State and will be broadcast live and streamed online by Time Warner Cable. Additionally, the eight other State Championship games in Divisions II-A through VI-AA will be held on Saturday, Dec. 19, at various host sites throughout California. The following is the schedule of games:
OPEN DIVISION
De La Salle (12-1) vs. Centennial, Corona (14-0) on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 8:00 p.m. at Sacramento State
DIVISION OPEN–SMALL SCHOOL
Central Catholic (15-0) vs. San Marino (15-0) on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 4:00 p.m. at Sacramento State
DIVISION I–AA
Bellarmine (13-1) vs. Mission Viejo (15-0) on Friday, Dec. 18 at 8:00 p.m. at Sacramento State
DIVISION I–A
Clayton Valley Charter (13-1) vs. Narbonne (13-2) on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 12:00 p.m. at Sacramento State
DIVISION II–AA
Del Oro (9-6) vs. Camarillo (15-0) on Friday, Dec. 18 at 4:00 p.m. at Sacramento State
DIVISION II–A
St. Francis (12-2) at Citrus Hill (13-2) Saturday, December 19, at 6:00 p.m.
DIVISION III–AA
Campolindo (14-1) at La Mirada (12-3) Saturday, December 19, at 6:00 p.m.
DIVISION III–A
Sacred Heart Prep (11-3) at Rancho Bernardo (12-2) Saturday, December 19, at 6:00 p.m.
DIVISION IV–AA
Bonita Vista (12-2) at Hanford (13-1) Saturday, December 19, at 6:00 p.m.
DIVISION IV–A
Sierra (9-5) at Chowchilla (12-2) Saturday, December 19, at 6:00 p.m.
DIVISION V–AA
Immanuel (11-2) at Mater Dei Catholic (13-2) Saturday, December 19, at 6:00 p.m.
DIVISION V–A
St. Bernard’s (13-1) vs. Saddleback Valley Christian (15-0) at Laguna Hills HS, Saturday, December 19, at 6:00 p.m.
DIVISION VI–AA
East Nicolaus (12-2) vs. Coronado (10-4) at Clairmont HS (San Diego), Saturday, December 19, at 6:00 p.m.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for the 2015 CIF State Football Championship Bowl Games are available at participating schools, online at www.cifstate.org (Sacramento State games only) and day of at the event site.
For games at Sacramento State tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for high school students (with a valid ASB card), seniors (65+) and children. All tickets are for general admission seating and are valid for all games on a single day. Two tickets would be required in order to attend at least one game on each day at Sacramento State.
For games at host sites tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for high school students (with a valid ASB card), seniors (65+) and children.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television
Time Warner Cable will broadcast all five contests LIVE. All Friday games will air on TWC SportsNet and all Saturday games will air on TWCC, except for the Open Division game which will air on TWC SportsNet
Additionally, Time Warner Cable will stream the games LIVE on www.TWCcommunity.com.
In Northern California, Comcast SportsNet will also carry all five games. Divisions Open, Open Small School, I-AA and I-A will air LIVE on Comcast SportsNet California and the Division II-AA game will air LIVE on Comcast SportsNet Plus.
UPDATE
Rancho Bernardo 35, Sacred Heart Prep 14
Hanford 33, Bonita Vista 21
Mater Dei Catholic 56, Reedley Immanuel 21
East Nicolaus 16, Coronado 6
