MidValleySports.Com

Falcon Chase Walker soars over La Serna’s Kevin Ramos in CV’s 41-36 Southeast semifinal win Friday night. (Photo by Phil Sutphin)

By Joe Torosian

(Glendale)- Crescenta Valley quarterback Bryan Gadsby’s 1-yard sneak with 1:07 to play gave the Falcons a 41-36 victory over the La Serna Lancers and their first championship birth since 1973.

“This is a major community effort,” Crescenta Valley HC Paul Schilling said. “We are a community team. It’s not just me, it’s not just my staff, it’s not just the kids, it’s La Crescenta, and it’s a big deal.”

A game on the cusp of becoming a blowout turned with 4:27 to play in the third quarter. The Falcons had stretched their lead to 28-14 at the start of the second half, but the Lancers drive in response was limited to a Alexander Vasquez field.

Leading 28-17 CV attempted a gadget play. A double hand off put the ball in receiver Travis Westhoff’s hands. Chase walker was 25 yards downfield and as wide open as Wyoming. It was gonna be the touchdown that blew things open, but in setting up to throw Westhoff slipped and was hit in the process of regaining his footing. The ball was picked off by La Serna’s Jonathan Ceballos and the Lancers were in business at the Falcons 16.

Two plays later La Serna quarterback Enrique Pacheco went 15-yards to Curtis Ashton and the score was 28-23 when the point after was blocked.

On the following kick-off the Crescenta Valley’s Connor Van Ginkel lost the ball and the Lancers recovered at the CV 28. Then Pacheco on the first play from scrimmage rolled to his right and fired down the sidelines to Ashton for the go ahead touchdown. The two-point attempt failed, the Lancers led 29-28.

Things appeared to settle down for the Falcons on the next drive. Starting at their own 25 with 3:26 to play in the third they went on the march. Key runs by Jonathan Jun and a pair of completions to Bostin Lakin moved them down the field and from the third to the fourth quarter.

Finally on a third and goal from the one with 11:16 Gadsby fumbled the ball on a sneak and La Serna recovered.

“And that’s not like us at all,” said Schilling. “They (La Serna) are very well coached, a very good team and they took advantage.”

In the flash and boom of CV football, even after an excellent season, the most overlooked aspect of the Falcons team has been the defense. With the Lancers pinned deep after recovering the fumble the defense kept them there and quickly forced a punt. The boot wasn’t great, Jordan Lobianco’s return was good and Gadsby set up shop at the La Serna 23.

An eye blink later Gadsby went to Lobianco on a post-route for a 23-yard go ahead touchdown.

The defending Southeast champs didn’t get its rings cheaply. They suffered a bludgeoning by West Covina in 2011, a heartbreaker against Downey in 2012, and needed a miracle in 2013 to overcome Norwalk. The impression given was they would only give up their title when you pried it from their cold dead hands.

With 8:54 to go, and trailing 35-29, Pacheco took his team towards the end zone. A third and 12 completion for 14 yards to Ashton took them to the CV 25. Then a 13-yard strike to Ashton put them at the 12. Ruben Rios on the next play, with 6:52 remaining, turned the left corner and scored to tied the game. Vasquez added the point after and it was 36-35.

CV’s next series turned the ball over on downs at the La Serna 34. The Falcons defense stepped up again to force a punt and the offense had the ball back at its own 30 with 2:50 to play.

A 15-yard pass to Van Ginkel was followed by a 22-yard slip screen to Chase Walker. Jun then cleared the line of scrimmage for 14-yards. Two plays later a 15-yard pass to Lakin set up a first and goal at the one.

With 1:15 to play Schilling had Gadsby take a knee to get the Lancers to burn a timeout. La Serna came out of the timeout with twelve players on defense and the ball was moved to the half yard line. Gadsby then surged in for the game winner.

The defense held Pacheco to four straight incompletions to close it out.

“We feel very relieved right now,” said Schilling. “We gave up the ball and you can’t do that in football. We didn’t really play that well tonight, big plays hurt us. I can’t say we did a poor job, but I can say they are a damn good team. We had to take out the defending champions.”

***Crescenta Valley scored on their first play from scrimmage when Connor Van Ginkel caught a 48-yard touchdown pass from Bryan Gadsby. After the CV standout was bracketed all night.

***La Serna’s Kevin Ramos responded to the Van Ginkel touchdown by taking an inside hand off 55-yards to paydirt to tie the game.

***Falcons receiver Bostin Lakin caught seven passes for 125 yards.

***Lancers wide receiver Curtis Ashton caught eight passes for 124 and three touchdowns

***Crescenta Valley quarterback Bryan Gadsby completed 22 of 32 for 313 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

***La Serna quarterback Enrique Pacheco completed 16 of 25 for 186 yards and three touchdowns.

***CV’s Jonathan Jun rushed for 109 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns.

***La Serna started on the offensive line: LT: Travis Miller, LG: Jonathan Kilgore, C: Michael Vega, RG: Ivan Morales, RT: Dominic Garcia

***CV started on the offensive line: LT: Davo Hakobyan, LG: Ben Lizer, C: Nizer Abou-chakra, RG: Bk Kim, RT: Bryan Wong.

***This is Crescenta Valley’s first CIF title appearance since 1973.

***

Scoring Summary

1st. Qtr.
Crescenta Valley: 10:27: Connor Van Ginkel 48-yard touchdown pass from Bryan Gadsby (Alex Atanackovic kick)

La Serna: 7:37: Kevin Ramos 55-yard touchdown run. (Alexander Vasquez kick)

2nd Qtr.
CV: 3:41: Trevor Hill 6-yard touchdown run. (Atanackovic kick)
CV: 1:03: Jonathan Jun 9-yard touchdown run. (Atanackovic kick)
LS: 0:14: Curtis Ashton 28-yard touchdown pass from Enrique Pacheco (Vasquez kick)

3rd Qtr.
CV: 10:49: Jun 3-yard touchdown run (Atanackovic kick)
LS: 4:36: Vasquez 38-yard field goal
LS: 3:40: Ashton 15-yard touchdown pass from Pacheco (kick blocked)
LS: 3:27: Ashton 28-yard touchdown pass from Pacheco (pass field)

4th Qtr.
CV: 9:01: Jordan Lobianco 23-yard touchdown pass from Gadsby (Atanackovic kick)
LS: 6:52: Ruben Rios 13-yard touchdown run (Vasquez kick)
CV: 1:07: Gadsby 1-yard run (pass failed)