MidValleySports.Com

By Tony Solorzano

Jorge Reyna leads the Vikings to the Southeast title.

(Fullerton) – A controversial end to a titanic slugfest ended Downey’s 55-year drought as the Vikings recovered a fumble with 19 seconds left deep in their own territory for a 33-25 victory over La Serna  to claim the CIF Southern Section’s Southeast Division title Saturday night at Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Stadium.

Justin Huff grinds up the yardage and the Lancers.

The Lancers (12-2) got the ball with 1:55 left in the game after the Vikings’ (11-3) got a second score from Justin Huff. but as had happened against Cal, the Lancers began to drive and were on the verge of pulling off a miracle game-tying score, similar to their comeback win against their rivals, Cal, in week 10. Tragically, Palmer lost the ball on a first down snap at the Viking 11, which was recovered by the Vikings to seal the victorty with 19 seconds left in the game,

The Lancers opened the scoring on their first possession. After the Vikings attempted an onside pooch, the Lancers started near mid-field on their own 46-yard line. Palmer then drove the team in nine plays, culminating in his seven-yard keeper for the 7-0 score.

It would take until 9:25 in the second before the Vikings could answer back, and it was Huff who did the answering. After getting the ball with 50 seconds left in the first, Huff broke the Vikings out of their own territory and into the Lancers’ side of the field with a 37-yard run up the left side on the first play of the second quarter. Three plays later, as the Vikings faced a fourth-and-six at the Lancers’ 39, quarterback Jorge Reyna turned right, escaping the Lancer blitz and tossed a wounded duck which was picked up by Jacob Cook, who turned and stepped into the end zone for the 7-7 tie.

Downey would threaten to take the lead late in the half after Reyna connected with Gus Caro for a 69-yard pass,  moving the Vikings outside the Lancers’ red zone. Huff broke free for a 15-yard rush, putting the Vikings in a first-and-goal at the La Serna six. However, Reyna’s throw to Tristan Esparza was just behind him.

Gio Long, who was covering Esparza, picked off the pass in the end zone. With the bulk of the Viking line pulled right on a fake screen, Long had a wide open lane in front of him, and off he went, heading for a sure touchdown. Reyna managed to catch up to him and dived for Long, slowing him up just enough for his teammate, lineman Robert Salazar, to bring Long down at the Vikings’ 25.

Two plays later, Palmer, under pressure from the Lancer defense, threw a prayer to Ruben Rios who scampered into the end zone for a 24-yard score. However, Tavis Guerra, the Lancers’ kicker, missed the point after attempt. This would play a factor as the game went on, but the Lancers held the 13-7 lead at the half.

In the third, the Vikings roared back, as Reyna took the opening possession and drove the Vikings 80 yards for the go-ahead score. Huff took the ball of the second play of the drive and drove 64 yards to the Lancer red zone. Four plays later, Reyna connected with Cook for a three-yard score, taking a 14-13 lead.

The Vikings would get the ball back on the next possession when Palmer was literally stripped of the ball as he attempted to pass, giving the Vikings the ball on the Lancer 41. Although Reyna got the Vikings into the red zone on passes to Cook and Esparza, the Lancers defense stiffened and stopped Huff twice, prompting Reyna to call his own number and score from 10 yards out. However, Tristan Escobar’s point-after attempt was blocked, keeping the Lancers close, 20-13 with 4:47 left in the quarter.

The Lancers had an opportunity to close the game on a 40-yard field goal attempt by Guerra, with a minute left in the quarter. However, by the end of the third, the rain had started to come down more steadily and as he stepped forward to kick, he lost his footing as he kicked and the ball went sideways, missing the uprights completely.

The Vikings took over with less than a minute left in the quarter, but as the quarter ended, Huff and Reyna moved the Vikings to their 36-yard line. Reyna then connected on two passes to Huff and Caro, moving the Vikings 59 yards to the Lancers’ five-yard line. Huff took the hand off and scored, putting the Vikings up 27-13, 31 seconds into the final quarter and seemingly on track to hold off the Lancers for the title.

The Lancers, however, were not going away without a fight. On their ensuing possession, Gio Long took a handoff from Palmer at their own 43-yard line and broke away for a 57-yard score, but Guerra again missed the extra point, but the lead was cut to eight points and the Lancers knew what could happen with an eight-point deficit.

Emboldened with the cut in the lead, the Lancer defense started to shut down the Vikings. After getting across mid-field, the Vikings were hit with a penalty for an illegal block in the back and Huff was stopped for a loss at the Lancer 32. Reyna missed on his next threee pass attempts, turning the ball over on downs, giving the Lancers new life.

After Long rushed twice for nine yards, Palmer ran a misdirection with Luke Gonzales who broke free for a 59-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to 27-25. The Lancers lined up for the two-point try but his pass to Austin Johnson was just off his finger tips, but the game changed again.

Although the Vikings were stalled on their next drive, they managed to pin the Lancers deep in their own territory. Palmer missed on his first two pass attempts, but on the third play of the drive, Palmer was sacked for a 10-yard loss and had to come out of the game as a precaution, giving sophomore back-up Enrique Pacheco some Finals experience. Pacheco’s pass attempt failed, and the Vikings got the back on downs at the Lancer 10-yard line. Huff would score two plays later, running in from a yard out, however Escobar again missed the point after, and once again the Lancers were eight points out with less than two minutes to go.

The Lancers, on their own 33-yard line, started to drive on Palmer’s arm. He hit Johnson for an 18-yard strike to get them to the Vikings’ 49-yard line. He found Matthew Rosales on the sidelines for a 14-yard completion to the 35 and the clock stopped. Then he found Rosales again on the opposite sideline for a 24-yard connection to the Viking 11 and 24 seconds left in regulation. But on the ensuing snap, Palmer lost the ball and the Vikings recovered with 19 seconds left, ending the game.

Huff was the leading rusher on the night with 180 yards on 24 carries and two scores, both in the final quarter. Reyna completed 14 of 27 passes for 258, throwing two touchdowns and an interception. Caro, Esparza and Cook combined to catch 10 passes for 215 yards, with Cook pulling in the two scores.

The loss closed the book on the career of Long, who ended his Lancer career with nine carries for 138 yards and a touchdown. Palmer missed only five of his 16 pass atttempts, throwing for 160 yards and the touuchdown to Rios. Palmer also ran for a touuchdown, but was sacked five times for a loss of 31 yards and was stripped of the ball once.