MidValleySports.Com

By Alex A. Gonzalez

Covina – In a rematch from an early September meeting, the Charter Oak Chargers drew the Muir Mustangs in the first round of the Division 4 CIF-SS playoffs Friday night. Just like the first time the two teams clashed, the Chargers got the best of the Mustangs when Damian Huff out jumped Ethan Leyland in the endzone for the game winning interception to seal the 17-14 overtime win in front of a raucous crowd at Lou Farrar Stadium.

​Lucas Rivera, whose name was not called all night, kicked the go-ahead 35-yard field goal, breaking the 14-all score on the cool November night. After Huff’s interception off Trey Gamble’s pass in the endzone, the Chargers advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2025 postseason.

​”No. 1, I’m at the corner, he ran a hitch, I baited the play. No. 2 ran a slot fade, and I did my best, thanks to my Lord and Savior,” Huff said of the final play. “All thanks to the Lord Most High. I love my teammates and coaches; I couldn’t be here without them.”

Neither team matched its offensive output from the September 9 matchup, when Charter Oak edged Muir 34-33.

​Corin Berry’s 1-yard quarterback sneak for the touchdown came with 42 seconds left in the opening quarter and was the only score in the first half. Both teams traded punts and turnovers on downs throughout the first 24 minutes of play. Zion Key’s interception off Gamble took it back to the Muir 1-yard line, setting up the offense to score first.  

​“They’re a good team, and we knew that going in we had to find our matchups,” commented Berry when talking about Muir’s defense. “When they were doing their stuff on defense, we took advantage with the run, and I have to put the ball in my hands.”

​Muir got on the board with 2:53 left in the third quarter when Gamble hit Deveon Blaylock for a 76-yard touchdown, tying the game at seven.

​The left-handed quarterback found rhythm, moving Muir downfield next. He connected with Noah Bozeman for 49 yards to reach the red zone. Two plays later, Zion McDonald ran in untouched, giving Muir a 14-7 lead early in the fourth.

​With a short field for the Chargers late in the fourth quarter, Berry needed only two plays to tie the game at 14. After the ball was placed at the Muir 40-yard line with 7:55 remaining, Berry hit Huff for a 28-yard gain and then kept the ball on the next play, racing for a touchdown to even the score.

​Muir tried to regain the lead on their next possession, but the offense went backward when McDonald was tackled in the backfield on their first play. After a failed screen play to the Senior running back, the Mustangs ended the drive with a punt. They continued to struggle for their final three possessions of regulation. Their last one ended with a kneel-down.

​At first, it seemed wise for Muir to choose defense first. When the Charger offense took the field, starting at the 25-yard line, the front four of the Mustang defense swarmed Antonio Reasby on his two carries. They also sacked Berry for another loss. As a result, Rivera trotted out for the go-ahead 35-yard field goal and cleared the uprights.

​Muir then had a chance to avenge their loss when they took possession of the ball. It did not last long, though, because after Gamble and Bozeman connected for a 10-yard completion, Gamble and the offense rushed to the line of scrimmage. He then pumped fake to the hitch route and tried to thread his pass between Huff and Christian Alarcon, but it was Huff who came down with it, ending the chances for a Muir victory.

​“Kind of surreal. Just another chapter in what has been just an epic battle between two storied programs built on tradition,” said Charter Oak HC Dom Farrar postgame. “The coaching staff and their kids deserve nothing but the respect and credit for their game plan, as well as how they played the football game. And Truth is, other than any night we’re playing each other, we’re rooting for them.”

​With the win, Charter Oak will travel to San Jacinto next Friday night in the quarter final round of the Division 4 CIF-SS playoffs.