By Tim Peterson
(Covina) – Diamond Ranch led 26-0 in the third quarter and then had to hang on to beat Northview 36-28 Thursday night in Valle Vista League action.
The Vikings scored with 1:04 left in the fourth quarter on an eight-yard pass from Erik Jimenez to Jaishon Bledsoe to cut the once 26-point advantage to just eight. But Northview’s onside kick was recovered by Diamond Ranch and a couple of kneel downs later and the Panthers had the victory.
Leading 17-0 at the half things got worse for Northview early in the third quarter. A bad snap on a punt attempt sailed out of the back of the endzone for a safety to make it 19-0.
A short kick left the Panthers in good field position again at midfield. Four plays later Jaelen Gallegos scored on a nine-yard run and with 8:08 left in the third quarter and it was 26-0 D Ranch.
Northview, which had been stagnant up to that point, finally got off the floor. The Vikes used just two plays to score. Jimenez hit Dylan Ochoa on the fly and he sprinted into the endzone for a 50-yard touchdown.
On the very next possession after forcing a Diamond Ranch punt, the Vikes struck again and with the same exact duo. Jimenez hit Ochoa again and he did the rest for a 45-yard touchdown pass and just like that it was 26-14.
The momentum had completely changed sides but on one quick play it switched right back. Just 58 seconds later D’mariya Thomas took a screen pass from Keanu Vasquez and weaved through the Northview defense for a 61-yard score. With 3:22 left in the third the Panthers were up 33-14. It wasn’t necessarily the nail the coffin but it was a punch in the mouth that knocked the Vikings back on their heels.
Thomas was a thorn in Northview’s side all night. The touchdown reception was his third of the night and he also had a key interception late in the contest.
The Vikings weren’t dead yet but ultimately it was a hole they could not dig out of. Donavan Perez hauled in a 37-yard touchdown pass from Jimenez early in the fourth and Angel Barraza caught a pass for the two-point conversion to make it 33-22.
Then after Joshua Cruz booted a 27-yard field goal for the Panthers with 7:23 left Bledsoe grabbed the TD pass with 1:03 left as the last gasp but it wasn’t enough.
With 3:31 left in the game Thomas leaped in front of a Northview receiver in the endzone for an interception that proved to be the dagger.
A 32-yard field goal by Cruz in the first quarter put the Panthers up 3-0. In the second quarter Thomas caught touchdown passes of 19 and 28 yards. The first one came after a bad snap on a punt attempt set up Diamond Ranch at the Northview 31.
Thomas was the key cog in the Panthers offense as he hauled in seven catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns and the big interception on defense.
For the Vikings they never were able to establish a running attack but Jimenez completed 18 passes for 324 yards and four touchdowns. Dwayne Thompson caught eight passes for 128 yards and Ochoa’s only two receptions went for scores as he totaled 95 yards.
The two teams finished the season with the exact same records – 8-2 overall and 2-1 in the Valle Vista. Now Northview and Diamond Ranch will wait for Sunday to see who they play and where they will land in the CIF Playoffs.
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@Anonymous like I said lets wait and see till Sunday what happens. I’m certainly positive that an 8-2 team will not loose a playoff bid. CIF placement is what they were after. It’s not hard to see. @What I agree with you 100%
This guy has no clue what he’s talking about. Lol… Just rambling.
Hit a nerve? Just trying to explain, what you’re suggesting doesn’t make sense though. Lol… Trying to make it alittle bit easier for you so you can understand. Northview now in jeopardy to miss playoffs with that loss. It’s not that hard to understand.
What? You don’t understand until you coached high school football. Northview tank this game. That is what happen, I don’t like it as a high school coach but it is obvious what Northview did and until you understand that you are delusional. I know you will not post this but I have beeen coaching in the SGV for 30 years and Northview is sending the wrong message to their football players
By the response of some of these post, I can tell we hit a nerve. We might be on to something. Regardless we will see how these Playoffs play out and people can make their own speculations. Not a conspiracy theorist but we’re not the only ones questioning this loss.
All you conspiracy theorist thinking HS kids would lose on purpose, get a clue. Even if a coach calls plays that aren’t good, 99% of kids will bust their backsides trying to make it work.
Kids don’t play to lose and the election wasn’t stolen.
Northview didn’t need game . They will be included. Bonita did get jobbed last year tho
So Northview lost the toss, if San Dimas wins today they are the 1, followed by Diamond Ranch. So Northview has to pray they get in with that at large birth. Which is not a forsure. Less spots available in those upper Division. I’d imagine Northview will still be in D5. I was at the game, literally watched Diamond Ranch dominate that whole 1st half up front. Northview came out so flat. Everyone picked Northview to win easily, you don’t think Diamond Ranch was keeping tabs? Everyone picked Diamond Ranch to handle San Dimas the week before, and what happens?Stuff happens, they’re kids playing. There is no way Northview wasnt playing to win, just look at the position they’re in now.
@Anonymous, it doesn’t at least feel suspicious? Especially after the 2021 loss to Los Altos? Bonita didn’t get in with a 6-4 record, not an 8-2 record like NV.
Typical for the northview playbook, they did it last time and got rewarded with a CIF championship in lower division….
So you’re saying don’t be so ignorant and delusional? Lol Can you please read and comprehend the last few sentences of my post. Not that hard to understand.
dont be so ignorant
if you think there is no way to tank a game as the signal caller…. you must be delusional
All you clowns on here speculating like school girls. Lol Every starter played. Games aren’t won on paper, styles make fights. If we’re going on paper then why play the games? Diamond Ranch was fighting for its playoff lives. Northview couldn’t afford to lose the game. Now if San Dimas wins, that makes a 3 way tie for 1st. Now it goes down to coin flip. Northview loses that coin flip and has to go as at large team can possibly mean no playoffs. Not all divisions take at large teams. Hence Bonita last year. Get a clue people. Over there wearing tin hats out thinking yourselves.lol
@ Covina residence,
Marcel Perez is a GREAT COACH! But Something doesn’t smell right about this. Add in the 2021 debacle and you got to wonder. This is another reason why the new system stinks.
Likely a 3 way tie for first with SD, NV, and DR and whoever #3 is will probably get an at large…. With Northview’s dominance all year, them being slated to be in D4 and their history of game 10 blunders, you have to wonder about this game.
Something don’t add up, Are teams losing on purpose in order to get a better CIF placement in CIF? Northview was the better team by far on paper. Northview beat San Dimas 26-12, Los Altos 48-13, and lost to Diamond Ranch 36-28. Diamond Ranch beat Los Altos 14-7 in (OT), lost to San Dimas 34-20, and beat Northview 36-28. Northview losing to Diamond Ranch by 26 points in the 3rd quarter is suspect. Fred Robledo did say Northview was the best public school in the area. Last year they got beat by Ramona in the 1st round of CIF Playoffs. Does anyone else agree?