By Duane Barker
(La Verne, CA) – On a warm October evening with the winner grabbing a stranglehold on the Baseline League title, the Damien Spartans and the Rancho Cucamonga Cougars battled for the full 48 minutes and the difference in the 36-35 score? The Spartans went for two and Isaiah Arriaza’s pass was intercepted in the endzone to erase whatever hope the Damien faithful were holding on to.
The drive that the Spartans went on to try and tie the score started at the Rancho Cucamonga 25.
Getting the ball in great field positions the Spartans took full advantage and covered the 25 yards in five plays capped by an Arriaza pass to Elijah Bechtel who held on to the scoring pass as two Cougar defenders hit him from either side.
Damien head coach Matt Bechtel could have trotted out his kicker and played for overtime, but in front of a raucous home crowd he left his offense on the field to try the two-point attempt. Arriaza dropped to pass and fired the ball into the endzone. Covering on the play was Dakota Mendoza who leaped and snagged the ball from the night air to seal the victory for Rancho Cucamonga.
The Cougars quick strike offense was on full display Friday night needing only three plays to cover 80-yards on their first possession of the evening. Emiliano Villareal found Daniel Wimbush streaking down the right side for a 31-yard touchdown strike. Ramon Annecchini added the extra point for the 7-0 advantage.
Damien tied the score with a touchdown of their own traveling 79-yards on 14-plays with Arriaza calling his own number from one yard out.
The Villareal to Wimbush connection was on display again with 1:09 left to play in the opening frame to give the Cougars a 14-7 lead.
With 9:04 left in the second, the Spartans took their first lead of the night on a four-yard run by Zachary Eguia to cap a seven play 85-yard drive. Damien went for two and were successful this time when Arriaza found Eddie Don from three yards away.
Damien extended their lead to 22-14 when Eguia found paydirt for the second time on the night, finishing off a 45-yard drive.
Rancho Cucamonga tied the score early in the third when they finished off a 52-yard drive with a 43-yard touchdown run from Trey Wilson. This time the Cougars went for two and were successful via a three yard run from Jonah Dawson.
A few minutes later the Cougars regained the lead on a 1-yard run from Wilson. Rancho
Cucamonga decided that a single extra point would suffice and Annechini supplied it.
There were no clouds in the sky but lightning struck on the ensuing kickoff. It wasn’t literal lightning but Ayden Gutierrez electrified the crowd with a 98-yard kickoff return to glory.
Not to be outdone by Gutierrez, the Cougars regained the lead when Wimbush caught his second touchdown of the night. Initially the pass was a little off line and was tipped by a Spartan defender. Wimbush stayed with the ball and hauled it in for a 16-yard touchdown pass.
Damien had a golden opportunity to get in the endzone again with 4:39 left to play.
After getting deep into Cougar territory, the Spartans were forced to go for it on fourth and goal at the five. Arriaza’s pass intended for Bechtel fell incomplete.
The Damien defense did their job and forced a cougar punt that was off the mark leading to the Spartan touchdown.
As talked about earlier Damien went for two but were turned back and the rest is history.
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