Tim Peterson
By Tim Peterson
It wasn’t the greatest high school football game I had ever seen but it had to be in the top five. I mean it’s one thing to come back from a three touchdown deficit but it’s another to erase the entire lead in fourth quarter with your starting quarterback on the bench.
And remember this wasn’t just another starting quarterback. This was Carson Glazier. The same Carson Glazier who threw for over 4000 yards and 47 touchdowns in the first 14 games. Glazier is arguably the best quarterback in the area. So when he was knocked out of the game in the second quarter by a body slam (illegal or not) things looked bleak for the Titans against Sierra Canyon in the State Bowl game Saturday night.
It looked even bleaker for San Marino when Sierra Canyon scored twice in the third quarter to go up 35-14. San Marino originally turned to Mark Wicke to spell Glazier, a senior who does a little bit of everything for the Titans. But when Sierra Canyon was still up by 21 in the fourth quarter Titan Head Coach Mike Hobbie called on sophomore Blake Cabot to go under center. And Cabot, another southpaw quarterback, was more than up to the task.
“Blake did a phenomenal job. He did what we asked him to do and that was to get the ball to J.P.” Hobbie said with wry smile.
Oh yeah, there was that guy too. J.P. Shohfi. Yeah, he’s not bad.
When a 21 point margin evaporates in a little more eight minutes things have to go wrong for the team who gives it up as well. As good as San Marino was Sierra Canyon contributed to its own demise. First Niko Harris missed a 30 -yard field goal, normally a chip shot for him, that would have made it 38-14.
On the ensuing possession, Dylan Tate was unable to hold on to a sure interception that would have set up Sierra Canyon in scoring position. The Titans subsequently cut it to 35-20 on a Michael Chan touchdown run and the Trailblazers commited another miscue. They mishandled the kick off and then a sack left them at their own eight-yard line. They were forced to punt a play later and San Marino took over on short field at the Sierra Canyon 44.
Boom! Cabot did what he was told to do and got the ball to Shohfi, who did the rest on a 44 yard score. Three miscues by the Trailblazers and San Marino immediately took advantage and it was 35-28 after a two-point conversion.
At that point it was clear the tide had turned. So it was no surprise when the Titans defense held again and a Cabot to Shohfi pass and two runs by Wicke put the Titans up 36-35. By the way was there any doubt Hobbie would go for two?
“Those who know me know there was no doubt,” Hobbie said.
Things went south quickly for Sierra Canyon and the dream season continues for the Titans as they head north next weekend.
Hobbie may have summed it up best as his players and coaches celebrated behind him.
“It’s kind of like a blur,” he said.
That’s my principle.
Tim can be reached at tim@midvalleysports.com or on Twitter @tspeterson40.
“Joe has captured the essence of the high school football experience. You don’t have to have played or coached to be instantly engaged in the story and identify with the characters. A great read!…Lots of laughs and memories from what high school football is like on the inside.”—Mike Mooney
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“TANGENT DREAMS”
A high school football novel by Joe Torosian will be available soon through Amazon.
(Cover by Pat Cherry www.blackheartart.com)
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