MidValleySports.Com

Colts Line is all smiles after Valle Vista title win. (Photo by Anne Cypress)

(San Dimas) – Billy Livingston showed the poise of a veteran quarterback marching Covina down the field in the final two minutes to lead the Colts to a remarkable comeback against San Dimas 27-23. The come from behind win also gave Covina its first Valle Vista League title in four years.

Livingston went six of seven for 71 yards on the game-driving with the end result being a 17-yard hook-up to Andrew Carrillo in the back of the end zone. Carrillo and Randy Robledo each caught three passes on the drive.

It didn’t always appear that the Colts would end up with the victory as the Saints dominated in the first half and raced out to a 23-6 lead after 24 minutes of play.

After spotting Covina the lead on Vinny Venegas first of three touchdowns from one-yard out, San Dimas went to work.

Dillon Corona drilled a 27-yar field goal to cut the lead in half at 6-3 with 4:46 remaining in the first quarter.

The Saints on its next drive made quick work of the Colts defense with Coddee Watts getting the bulk of the yards on a 52-yard run to set San Dimas up at the Covina 35-yard line. After Corona ran for 24 yards, Jordan Taylor found a hole to score from n11-yards out to give the Saints a four point lead.

Nathan Torres would score on a two-yard dive to allow the Saints to go up by 11 points with 6:57 remaining in the opening half.

Watts then led the Saints on a two-minute drill that would give all the momentum to San Dimas that was capped off by Kevin Kolbeck’s grab off the helmet of Adam Vanderloop for a 31-yard touchdown reception.

That would be all the Saints would do from there on out with the Colts making the correct adjustments and taking advantage of good field position and bad mistakes.

With both teams trading turnovers to start the second half, Venegas gave Covina the spark it needed with a 65-yard punt return that set the Colts up at the five yard line. After a penalty against San Dimas moved the ball to the 3-yard line, Venegas would run in for a touchdown to cut the lead to 10.

Venegas would strike again early in the fourth quarter with a 52-yard pass reception for a score to give Covina all the momentum and down by only three. Livingston (24 of 32 for 257 yards and two touchdowns) found Venegas on a short pass that turned into a nightmarish score for the Saints.

The last drive for San Dimas could have ended the Colts hopes for a comeback win as the Saints were inside the 11-yard line with 2:37 remaining in the final stanza. San Dimas was bailed out on an over-thrown pass from Watts to Kolbeck that was ruled a pass interference on Covina to set the Saints up in the “red zone”.

After Corona managed to get to the 11-yard line, Damarquis Lawson was stopped behind the line of scrimmage for a two-yard loss to set up third and nine at the 13-yard line.

San Dimas looked to have gone up an insurmountable lead with 2:34 remaining when Watts scampered home from 13-yards only to have the play called back for a holding call.

A flea-flicker end around pass from Kolbeck to Davante Brown fell incomplete on fourth and 22 to begin the game winning drive for Covina.

Teams battle for a loose ball. (Photo by Anne Cypress)