By Tim Peterson
(Pasadena) – Andrew Johnson intercepted a pass at the Pasadena five-yard line with 2:07 left in the contest to lift Pasadena to a 21-17 win over Gahr Saturday night and to the CIF Division 13 championship.
Gahr had driven down to the Bulldog 28-yard line down by just four but Johnson’s pick stopped the threat and Pasadena was able to run out the clock for its first football championship since 1933. That team was wearing leather helmets.
Pasadena, down 14-7 at halftime, scored early in the third quarter on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Dutch Burbidge to Christopher Solis-lunar. Burbidge then ran in the two-point conversion after a Gahr offsides penalty to put the Bulldogs up 15-14.
The score stayed that way until the fourth quarter when Noah Hernandez booted a 29-yard field goal to put Gahr back on top 17-15 with 7:51 remaining.
Four minutes later Pasadena put together a nine-play, 75-yard drive that Josiah Rucker put an exclamation point on with a 34-yard touchdown burst right through the heart of the Gahr defense. The Bulldogs went for two but failed leaving the score 21-17.
The Gladiators then moved into scoring position but Andrews’ pick put a stop to that.
Gahr scored first on the opening possession marching 75 yards capped by a two-yard run by Dylan Richburg. Pasadena tied it later in the first quarter when the Burbidge-Solis-lumar connection worked for the first time. Solis-lumar made a leaping grab of a 36-yard strike to even it up at 7.
In the second quarter Roman Acosta scored on a one-yard run to finish a 60-yard drive to give the Gladiators a 14-7 lead. Gahr took that lead into the half.
The Bulldogs then took control and eventually the game in the second half.
Burbidge threw for 108 yards and two touchdowns with Solis-lumar being the main target with five catches for 77 yards and two scores. Rucker had 12 carries for 97 yards and the one huge touchdown.
For Gahr Acosta rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Gahr only had the one turnover but it was a costly one.
And for Pasadena the celebration begins after a 91-year drought.
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