By Alex A. Gonzalez
(Downey) – With less than three minutes left in regulation and the game tied at 14, La Serna’s Grady Long dropped back to pass and connected with Kenai Summage for the game’s go-ahead touchdown, and Nathan Christiansen sealed the 20-14 win over Downey when he sacked Kale Murphy, clinching the school’s first Gateway League title Friday night at Burbeck Field.
“It feels great, you know. This was our goal going into this new league,” said Long after the game. “To be the first one to win the Gateway League in La Serna Lancer history. We got it done.”
In a game where both teams traded field position and defensive touchdowns, neither team could find a way to create separation.
Downey’s defense scored the game’s first touchdown midway through the first quarter on the chilly night, when La Serna was set to punt in their own endzone until Gavin Chapman broke through the front line, blocked the punt, and recovered it for the score.
Then La Serna’s defense returned the favor as the second quarter began when Etoagwara Onyenegecha read Chase Watkins’ short pass to the flat, picked it off, and returned it for the score.
The Lancers then added another touchdown as the quarter ended when Long escaped the pocket, found Landon Armenta open on the sideline, and took it 48 yards to the house, giving his team a 14-7 advantage at halftime.
Both teams then exchanged field position with a slew of punts after every possession throughout the quarter.
Although the Vikings couldn’t get their passing game going, Max Acosta, who leads the Gateway in rushing with 625 yards, chewed up yards on the ground, but when the team needed to complete a pass, the ball either fell short of the receiver or was out of reach.
The Vikings had a chance to cut into the 14-7 deficit at the 4:11 mark of the third quarter when Elijah Verdusco attempted a 41-yard field goal, but he didn’t get enough leg, and the ball fell short of the goalposts.
But the defense came through once again with 40 seconds left in the quarter, when they added their second touchdown of the night when Matthew Dalhover picked off Long and returned it 56 yards.
The defense, however, couldn’t stop the Lancers on their final drive of the night. With the ball on their 45-yard line, Long shook off his three-interception night and needed only two pass attempts to score the game’s go-ahead TD to Summage with less than two minutes remaining.
“Yeah, with ups and downs, we just got to keep battling. Keep fighting. Our defense played lights out, keep giving me the ball back,” said Long. “And, you know, double move, give the ball to Kenai…We knew we were going to connect on one of those.”
Downey managed to march downfield on the ensuing possession, with Murphy replacing Watkins at quarterback. But when the offense sputtered and faced a 4th and eight from the La Serna 21-yard line with 26 seconds left in the contest, Christiansen’s blindside rush sacked Murphy, sealing the game and a Gateway League championship for the Lancers.
Downey Starting O-Line
LT 70 Andrew Paz
LG 72 Nathan Molina
C 50 Charlie Zegarra
RG 55 Aaron Aguilar
RT 52 John Noriega
La Serna Starting O-Line
LT 78 Jake Hurtado
LG 60 Logan Brown
C 57 Jackson Zhulke
RG 64 Michael Salsameda
RT 52 Jeremiah Rubalcava
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