Grant Haggard and the Wildcats hold on to Garrett Fulbright and the win
Monrovia Wins Nail-Biting Semifinal
By Juan Carlos Salas
(Monrovia) – The Wildcats rallied from two ten-point deficits to edge Whittier Christian 35-32 Saturday night and seal their trip to the Mid-Valley Division CIF Finals.
“We knew this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park,” said Monrovia Head Coach Ryan Maddox. “We were down by ten twice and we could have folded the tent, but we made the plays we needed to make.”
Monrovia put the game to bed with a defensive touchdown late in the game. Being behind by four points, Whittier Christian quarterback Stephen Anderson forced a pass on fourth and ten. Wildcat Jay Henderson read the play to pick off Anderson to return the ball for a 35-yard touchdown.
The Heralds got off to a fast start after Garrett Fulbright finished WC’s first drive with a one yard touchdown. Whittier Christian took advantage adding a 16 yard field goal for a 10-0 lead after Wildcat Derrick Johnson coughed up the ball.
Monrovia finally got on the board through the defense. Dujawn Jones intercepted Anderson and returned it for a 40-yard touchdown. Quarterback Nick Bueno added a second touchdown after he capped a long drive with a 36 yard run giving the Wildcats a 14-10 lead.
The squads continued to trade shots as Whittier Christian scored twice consecutively again. Anderson connected with Cody Stewart after he beat his defender for a 33 yard touchdown. Moments later Fulbright notched his second touchdown and regained the lead for his team, 24-10, with a 45 yard run as he weaved through Monrovia’s defense avoiding several tackles.
However M-Town didn’t crumble and quickly changed the game’s momentum to their side. On the ensuing kickoff, De’Shawn Ramirez returned the ball for a 97 yard touchdown that caused an explosion on both the Wildcats’ sideline and the stands, and cut WC’s lead, 24-21.
“The kickoff return for a touchdown really changed the momentum,” said Maddox. “We went down by ten or the second time. Some kids hung their heads and that play changed the momentum. The crowd got into it and we got pretty pumped up.”
On their drive, Monrovia regained the lead, 28-24, after going for it on fourth and inches. Johnson made up for his earlier fumble by driving through the line and finding space for a 10-yard touchdown.
Whittier Christian’s next drive saw Anderson being picked off by Henderson to score the 35-yard touchdown and extend Monrovia’s lead to 35-24.
With under a minute left, the Heralds made it a three point game after Grant Escobar was at the end of a 15 yard pass and Whittier Christian completed a two-point conversion, but it wasn’t enough as Monrovia fielded the onside kick.
Monrovia will host San Dimas next week in a venue that will be decided later this week.
“They are going be looking for revenge so we are not going to take them lightly,” said Maddox. ‘This is the CIF Finals, you get this opportunity once.”
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