Cougars recover fumble late in the game. Photo by Anne Cypress.
(Covina) It took a year for Rancho Cucamonga to settle the tie that occurred a year ago against Charter Oak last season. The outcome was a resounding 35-25 victory at Charger Stadium.
“We (Charter Oak) hurt ourselves,” said Charger head coach Lou Farrar. “Rancho Cucamonga made some big plays near the end of the first half. We had some break downs on plays we shouldn’t have had problems with.”
The Cougars (4-0) survived a 14-0 deficit and took the lead early in the second half and pulled away from the vaunted Charger offense in the fourth quarter to remain undefeated.
“We started moving the ball better in the third quarter,” said Cougar head coach Nick Baiz. “This will be one of the best defenses we see the entire year. We put on the gas pedal in the second half.”
Rancho Cucamonga running back Sateki Finau scored three touchdowns to lead the way for the Baseline League favorites. Finau would rush, receive, and return a fumble recovery for touchdowns.
Finau on his way to score one of his three touchdowns. Photo by Anne Cypress.
It appeared as though Charter Oak (3-1) would blowout the Cougars early, when Dennis Rufus ran the perfect seam route for a 68-yard touchdown reception from Travis Santiago after one minute expired in the game.
Misfortune would hit Rancho Cucamonga four plays later as Randel Telfer tipped Greg Watson’s pass and into the waiting arms of Charger linebacker Brian Golden who intercepted the pas sat the 25-yard line to give Charter Oak favorable field position.
The Chargers wouldn’t capitalize and it allowed a very good Cougar defense time to get their feet under them before any more damage could be done.
After teams traded the next seven possessions, it was the Charter Oak defense that came up big when Watson fumbled the ball in the shadow of his own end zone. During the wild scenario that followed, defensive end Lono Barbadillo recovered the loose ball in the Rancho Cucamonga end zone.
That would be the last time the ball would bounce the Chargers way as the Cougars came out on the very next series and scored on a two-yard blast by Finau to cut the score to 14-7.
The game would change near the end of the first half, when Charter Oak opted to attempt a 42-yard field goal that was blocked by Chayz Holt and scooped up by Finau who rumbled 65-yards for a touchdown to send the teams even at the break.
Beginning the third quarter, it was apparent that Rancho Cucamonga’s game plan was to run the ball with Watson and Michael Boyd as they rushed for 64 yards on the opening series of the second half that was punctuated by Watson’s screen pass to Finau, who scored from 19-yards out to give the Cougars a lead they would never relinquish.
Rancho Cucamonga then applied the dagger into the hearts of Charger fans when Boyd broke free for a fifty-yard score with 2:31 to play in the third quarter. Boyd would finish with 21 carries on 165 yards and a touchdown.
Muema trying to break free. Photo by Anne Cypress.
Boyd’s counterpart, Adam Muema would finish with 26 carries for 143 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown came with 6:12 to play in the game on Muema’s three-yard run.
Charter Oak attempted on last trick with 3:51 to play, when Rufus took the pass from Travis Santiago for ten-yards and in the process attempted a hook-and-ladder that was fumbled and recovered by the Cougars.
RANCHO CUCAMONGA 0 14 14 7 35
CHARTER OAK 7 7 3 8 25
SCORING:
CO – Dennis Rufus 68 pass from Travis Santiago (Robert Poage kick)
CO – Lono Barbadillo fumble recovery in end zone (Poage kick)
RC – Sateki Finau 2 run (Josh Wolfer kick)
RC – Finau 65 yard block kick return (Wolfer kick)
RC – Finau 19 pass from Greg Watson (Wolfer kick)
CO – Poage 31 yard field goal
RC – Michael Boyd 50 run (Wolfer kick)
RC – James Zamarippa 6 pass from Watson (Wolfer kick)
CO – Adam Muema 3 run (Keith Smith pass from Santiago)
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