MidValleySports.Com

By Alex A. Gonzalez

Glendora— With 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Freshman quarterback Sebastian Lawrence came off the bench and threw the game-winning touchdown pass to a crossing Tim Johnson in the endzone, clinching a birth in the Division 6 CIF-SS Finals. The game-winning throw propelled Glendora to a 25-21 comeback win in the Division 6 CIF-SS semi-finals against Dana Hills on a cold Friday night at Citrus College. 

The Tartans completed the second-half comeback after being down 21-3 at halftime 

“I was just trying to win it for my team, you know,” said Lawrence after the game. “Be the best player I can be and be the best teammate I can possibly be. We won, and we’re going to the finals.” 

Picking up in the third quarter, the Dolphins held a 7-3 lead over the Tartans and added to that on their first possession to start the final 24 minutes of play. Senior quarterback Vander Dugger and running back Radley Geiss led the way on the eight-play, 70-yard drive. Dugger capped the drive when he completed an 18-yard pass to Cameron Weaver.

Then, after a slew of turnovers by both teams, Dana Hills extended their lead to three scores when Dugger threw his second touchdown pass of the night to James Leicester for a 39-yard score with 4:31 left in the third quarter. 

The Tartans then responded on the ensuing possession by scoring their first touchdown. Brandon Coronado dropped back and launched his pass 40 yards into the hands of Johnson, who then carried it into the end zone with 2:39 in the period. Glendora trailed 21-10 following the score. 

Dana Hills then tried to counter on their next possession, and it worked for most of the drive. The “no-huddle” offense of the Dolphins limited the Tartans from rotating fresh bodies, making it easier for running back Owen Walz to bully his way through first contact and gain chunk yards. 

The Tartans were able to slow down Walz as they got to the Glendora 30-yard line. Once the run was taken away from the offense, the defense forced Dugger into back-to-back incompletions, including one on fourth and short, giving the ball back to the Tartans.

Momentum swung in favor of Glendora as they used a combination of Johnson, Austin Coronado, and Simon Zwick, who each took turns carrying the ball as they made their way down the field. 

After a face mask penalty that set up the Tartans on the 4-yard line, Austin Coronado took the snap out of the Wildcat formation and punched his way into the end zone. He was also responsible for converting the 2-point try, making the score 21-18 with 6:03 remaining in the fourth quarter. 

“I’m speechless right now. That was such a good game,” commented Austin Coronado post-game. “Just keep the momentum going. I mean, they got 21 on us early, and we switched the defense, made some adjustments, and they weren’t scoring much after that.” 

Dana Hills tried to ice the game by handing the ball off to Walz as he carried the rock five times out of the eight-play drive. Once the defense stopped the run, however, Dugger tried to convert the fourth down play again by passing, but Austin Coronado slipped his way around the Dolphin front line and sacked Dugger for a 16-yard loss. 

Finally, with 2:09 remaining in regulation, and the ball placed on the Dolphins’ 49-yard line, Lawerence had replaced Brandon Coronado when he went down with an ankle injury that happened on the previous drive. 

Lawrence only attempted three passes on the series. His first attempt fell incomplete when his pass bounced off the hands of Johnson in the end zone. His second was also incomplete, but the referees penalized Dana Hills for a pass interference penalty that placed the ball nine yards away from the end zone. His third pass, though, sealed the win and clinched a spot in the Division 6 finals when he found Johnson running across the end zone with 15 seconds left. 

The Dolphins did have one last try at regaining the lead as time expired. It failed as the offense tried to pitch the ball backward to whoever was open.