One of the most stunning turnarounds in Central Coast Section football history has ended in ultimate glory.
With hardly any margin for error and sitting on just two wins in late October, the St. Ignatius Wildcats put their heads down and went to work. After rolling past Alisal and Menlo in the first two rounds of the CCS Division II playoffs, nothing came easy for SI the rest of the way. But the Wildcats held on for their third straight one-score victory on Friday night over Ventura in Fullerton, a 42-35 win that gave SI (9-6) its first state title in school history.
Caedon Afsharipour completed just seven of his 15 passes, but turned those completions into 193 yards and two touchdowns, and he also rushed for 26 yards on five carries with another score. He opened the scoring by connecting with a wide-open Zui Shelton down the left sideline, and Shelton kept his feet in bounds and stayed upright before racing to the end zone for a 38-yard touchdown.
The Cougars (13-3) responded and took a seven-point lead by the end of the first quarter, but a Steve Malone 44-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second period tied things back up. It was the start of a huge game for Malone, who carried 17 times for 124 yards and two scores.
The Wildcats relied on their defense and special teams in the CCS championship game against Sacred Heart Cathedral and the NorCal 3-AA playoff game against Monte Vista, but this time, it was the offense that stole the show. Malone’s second touchdown of the second quarter put SI back on top, and after Ventura retook a one-point lead, Luke Tribolet broke loose for a 39-yard rushing touchdown that made it 28-21 Wildcats at the half.
SI quickly extended that lead in the third quarter as Hawkes Packard turned a quick screen pass into a 65-yard touchdown on the Wildcats’ first play from scrimmage in the second half. Packard, who showed off the speed and slipperiness that makes him such a force in the return game, had four catches for 134 yards and a touchdown.
Ventura was hardly through. Jack Cunningham, who entered the night as the leading receiver in the state of California, hauled in a touchdown reception to make it a one-score game again late in the third. But Afsharipour, on a designed quarterback draw, found an opening and burst through it for a rushing touchdown early in the fourth.
It was an insurance touchdown SI would need, as Derek Garcia hit Tristan Phillips in the end zone with about three minutes left. But with the Cougars out of timeouts, they needed to recover an onside kick and were unable to do so. The Wildcats ran out the clock, and a year after winning the CCS Open Division title but losing in NorCals, they finished the job and will bring the CIF championship trophy home.
SI’s defense, while giving up 35 points, still came up with key plays in big spots. Star linebacker Charlie Ball nabbed an interception and had a sack, Matthew Bruso recovered a fumble and Will Cahan sacked Phillips twice.
The Wildcats delivered for first-year head coach JaJuan Lawson, who took over after Lenny Vandermade left to join the staff at Santa Margarita — which routed De La Salle to win the CIF Open Division championship Saturday night.
Lincoln falls just short
Valley Center blocked one extra point early and another late as Lincoln’s first-ever deep postseason run fell one point short of a state championship with a 36-35 loss in Friday’s CIF 6-AA title game.
The Lions (11-4) fell despite the best efforts of superstar running back Kyan Phillips. The senior’s rushing numbers were nothing special — 17 carries for 70 yards and two touchdowns — but Phillips also caught a 68-yard touchdown pass from Luca Papoulias and returned a kickoff 83 yards for another score. His second touchdown run gave Lincoln a six-point lead with less than two minutes remaining, but the Jaguars (9-6) threw the last punch.
Joeisha Ryan Tirado’s 10-yard touchdown run put Valley Center up by one with 32 seconds left. The Lions were unable to get in range for a game-winning field goal and saw their historic season end in heartbreak.
Papoulias was on target all game long, completing 14 of 17 passes for 321 yards, with Michael Whitelaw nabbing six of those completions for 116 yards. But the Jaguars’ trio of Braylon Mitchell (15-of-24 passing, 324 yards, 1 TD), Ryan Tirado (24 carries, 194 yards, 4 TD) and receiver Jesse Morales (six catches, 134 yards, 1 TD) was too much for Lincoln to overcome.
