Duy Tran-Sampson came up big for Claremont with 151 yards and two touchdowns
By Steven Mercado
The Claremont Wolfpack forced a late-game fumble and scored a touchdown and two-point conversion to bring the contest against the Bonita Bearcats to overtime on Friday night. The Wolfpack kept the momentum from regulation and finished their comeback victory, 28-21.
The Wolfpack was down 8 points with just over four minutes left in the game after sophomore kicker Jacob Grajales hit a 21-yard field goal. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Claremont’s defense stripped Bearcats senior RB Angel Verdugo and recovered the fumble on Bonita’s 11-yard line.
A seven-yard touchdown run from the Wolfpack’s sophomore RB Duy Tran-Sampson and a double-reverse pass for a successful two-point conversion tied the game at 21 against the Bearcats with 3 minutes and 33 seconds left to play.
The game went to overtime and Tran-Sampson crossed the goal-line with a two-yard touchdown run to cap the opening drive of the period. Bonita had one chance to stay alive and the Claremont defense only allowed four yards on the final four plays of the game.
*** Tran-Sampson ran the ball 42 times on Friday night, which is a season high. His previous season high was 29 carries. The sophomore running back ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns.
*** Bonita was the first team to score and they did it in three plays. The game’s first touchdown was a 40-yard connection from junior QB Tanner East to junior WR BJ McLaurin.
*** Claremont HC Mike Collins on the even level of play throughout the Palomares League: “Anybody could have won our league this year — even Bonita, even us.”
*** Directly after tying the game, Claremont tried an onside kick and recovered it at their own 45-yard line. The drive ended in a three-and-out.
*** Verdugo’s complete game statistics: 17 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown. His fumble was the only turnover by either team all game.
*** The Wolfpack’s game-tying two-point conversion was a double reverse passing play. The ball was handed off to Tran-Samson who then handed it off to freshman WR Ben Lynch. Lynch completed the pass to his quarterback, senior captain Ryan O’Connor, and O’Connor crossed the goal-line.
*** Collins on the double-reverse pass for the tying two-point conversion: “That’s one of those plays that you practice all year and you never use. At the very end of the season, we were trying it. We actually did a double pass last week for a key touchdown with one minute left. Those trick plays are hard to cover, I know that, but we’re fortunate we executed them.”
*** Quarterback comparison: East – 12-for-21, 146 yards, two touchdowns; O’Connor – 15-for-24, 152 yards, one touchdown.
*** Claremont’s starting offensive line: LT – senior Caleb Taylor, LG – senior Abel Martinez, C – senior Alexander Davis, RG – junior Anthony Russo, RT – junior Conner Tolliver
*** Bonita’s starting offensive line: LT – senior Austin Russell, LG – senior Cruz Garibay, C – senior Daniel Burgess, RG – senior Dustin Lees, RT – junior Baylee Smith
Claremont HC Mike Collins
“We lost to South Hills, the league champions, on the last play of the game last week. Anybody could have won our league this year — even Bonita, even us.
I’m really proud of our guys because they finished the season. They finished and won when they had to win and finished an overtime drive. Those are big things, so I’m really proud of our guys.”
“We kind of said that we felt we were a championship contending team and we were … the loss last week kind of hurt us and we had to treat this game like a playoff game. If we want to go to the playoffs, we had to win.
By winning, we’ve created at least a three-way tie for third … We’re 6-4, we’re also up for a wild card, probably, so I think we closed the season pretty strong.
“That’s one of those plays that you practice all year and you never use. At the very end of the season, we were trying it. We actually did a double pass last week for a key touchdown with one minute left. Those trick plays are hard to cover, I know that, but we’re fortunate we executed them.”
“I love these guys and our staff and these guys have worked hard. We just kept telling them that those who work hard, good things happen to them. It’s nice to see that. Our kids work really hard, like everybody, but last week, they worked really hard, they deserved a win and they don’t get it … We felt like we earned that win and didn’t get it, so it’s nice for them to work hard, play hard, deserve to win and win, so I’m very excited.”
“Praise the Lord for them and for this. I’m very excited and thankful for our guys being healthy and being able to play this great game.”
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