MidValleySports.Com

Five Overtimes is cause for celebration...and reflection

By Josh Ouellette

(Pasadena) Once in a lifetime a game like the one played on Friday night between Valley Christian and Maranatha occurs. Once in a lifetime it takes five overtimes to settle a winner like it did in the Crusaders 70-64 victory over the Minutemen.

In the first overtime period Maranatha was able to get on the board first with a touchdown pass from Elfers to Mark Jebbia, but Crusaders responded with a touchdown pass of their own from Fronke to Darrell Bush.

In the second overtime VC started with the ball and was able to score on a 12-yard touchdown run by Ryan Fronke. Maranatha came right back with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Elfers to Major. The score now 54-54 after two overtimes.

In the third overtime the Minutemen started with the ball but were forced to kick a 26-yard field goal by Marbach. The Crusaders were put in the same position on their turn in the overtime period with Boer coming on the hit a 42-yard field goal to force the tie. The score now tied up at 57.

The fourth overtime began with the Crusaders having the ball and hitting the same connection that scored for them in the first overtime, Fronke to Bush for a 12-yard scoring pass. Andrew Elfers wouldn’t let his team lose as he came on and ran the ball into the endzone from three yards out to bring the game to a tie again at 64’s and bring it to a fifth overtime.

After the Minutemen failed to score on their possession in the fifth overtime the Crusaders came on to go for the win. Then came the play.

The team looked to the sideline for the play and received it. The linemen got down in their stances. Fronke went under the center for the snap. The ball is hiked and it looks like fullback dive play. Fronke turns to hand the ball off to Griffin but he goes the wrong way. Maranatha swarms in for the sack. As Fronke is hit he turns around and shovels the ball to the waiting arms of Rodriguez behind him. Rodriguez runs to his left and sees the end zone in his sights. He turns the corner with the Minutemen defense chasing him. He has one man to beat. At his wideout position Boer makes his block to spring Rodriguez free into the open field. He runs past the goal line. The referee raises his arms to signal touchdown and the Valley Christian sideline erupts.

Maranatha fell to 5-3 overall, but more critical in terms of post-season they are now 0-2 in the four game Olympic League. Valley Christian is now 2-0 in league and 5-3 overall.

The Minutemen went down 7-0 at the end of the first quarter then fate turned their way. The Crusader quarterback Ryan Fronke was able to hit some big completions in the game, but in the opening three minutes of the second quarter the only passes he could complete were to the other team. In the three minutes Fronke was intercepted by R.J Straker twice and once by Conner Pendley, all three times inside Valley Christian’s own half of the field. Setting up Maranatha to score 17 quick points and lead by 10 with 9:07 left to go in the first half.

VC didn’t go away then, driving the ball down the field and then scoring on a Fronke 12-yard pass to running back Trevor Rodriguez. On the Crusaders next possession fullback James Griffin rumbled 55-yards down the middle of the field into the endzone to give Valley the lead again 20-17.

After the kickoff Maranatha quarterback Andrew Elfers hit Jeremy Major for a major 70-yard touchdown pass, giving the Minutemen back the lead 24-20.

VC was not to be out done on its offense’s next trip on the field Fronke hit tight end Jacob Dupuy for a 71-yard touchdown pass literally one-uping the Minutemen to steal back the lead before the end of the half 26-24.

When the teams came out of the locker room Maranatha scored first when 3:07 left in the third quarter Elfers hit receiver Josh Jones for the touchdown, giving Maranatha the lead 31-26.

The Crusaders made sure the Minutemen lead was short lived though because on the second play of their ensuing possession Rodriguez took the handoff and ran the ball 68-yards to the endzone, making the score 33-31 VC with the lead.

Maranatha shocked right back on it’s first play after the Crusader score Elfers found Straker for a 58-yard pass. Three plays later Elfers ran the ball eight yards to the left for a trip to paydirt to make the score 38-33 Minutemen with 16 seconds left in the third quarter.

On the next Maranatha drive the Crusaders forced the punt but the ball was downed on the one-yard line setting the VC offense with a 99-yard field in front of them. On the second play of the Crusaders march Fronke was sacked by Isaiah Braithwaite in the end zone for the safety making the score 40-33 in favor of the Minutemen with 8:45 left in the fourth quarter.

After a missed field goal by Minutemen kicker Matt Marbach, Valley Christian got the ball back on its 20 with 45 seconds left in the game. On the first play of the drive Fronke found Tyler Boer over the middle for a 80-yard touchdown pass to knot the game up at 40 apiece.

A pooch onside kick and recovery gave the Crusaders the ball back at the 28. But on the first play Fronke was intercepted for the sixth time of the night, this time by Josh Jones. An Andrew Elfers knee ran out the clock and took the game into overtime.