SAN RAMON, CA - Peyton Henry's 28-yard field goal with one second remaining lifted Monte Vista past California, 27-24, in a thrilling, back-and-forth contest on Friday night. The Mustangs (4-0, 3-0 EBAL) handed California (4-1, 3-1) its first loss of the season, beating them for the first time in four years.
Monte Vista held off a ferocious Grizzlies comeback in the second half, which included two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and ended up scoring the final 10 points of the game in the last 2:50.
“I thought we did a good job in the first half but then self-destructed,” said Monte Vista head coach Craig Bergman. “We showed a lot of resiliency in the second half, overcame some calls that didn’t go our way, and it was a great win.”
The Mustangs battled back to tie the score at 24-24 on a six-yard touchdown reception by tight end Erik Krommenhoek, with just under three minutes left.
They managed to force a quick three-and-out on the ensuing drive, and got the ball back one final time with 1:41 remaining. This was an extremely crucial possession late in the game for California, who could not find anywhere to go on offense and only took 1:09 off the clock.
After a short punt set them up on the opposing 41-yard line, the Mustangs drove down the field and set up the game winning field goal by Henry, his second of the night.
“I think that it all came down to heart tonight,” said Monte Vista senior Nate Landman. “We battled through, just wanted it more, and came out on top.”
Despite being down 14-10 at halftime and 17-10 at the end of the third quarter, the Grizzlies roared back to life in the final 12 minutes.
Defense led the way for California, as they limited the high powered Mustang offense to just three points in the third quarter. Defensive tackle Omar Khattab wreaked havoc up front in the trenches, constantly pressuring the quarterback and recording two sacks. Linebacker Claudio Rodriguez was in on a lot of big defensive stops and also recorded a sack. In the secondary, Brandon Perrilliat was a shutdown cornerback who defended several passes that came his way.
Senior running back Isaiah Sahagun scored on a 4-yard run with just under 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 17-17. The touchdown was set up by an explosive 25-yard run by senior Christian Toetuu, just a few plays earlier.
After a quick three-and-out by Monte Vista, California took advantage of great field position and captured its first lead of the night on an 11-yard run by Sahagun, to make it 24-17 with 6:44 remaining in the game.
The Grizzlies initially fought back in the second quarter, on a 23-yard field goal by Justin Lego and a 19-yard touchdown catch by tight end Trevor Leathley, to cut the deficit to 17-10.
Monte Vista completely dominated for the first quarter and a half, jumping out to a 14-0 lead with relative ease. They started the game in high fashion, capping off an eight-play, 70-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown run by senior running back Shane Perry. Perry was a constant force all night long, rushing for a total of 182 yards on 28 carries.
“We showed a lot of heart and we never give up,” said Perry. “We just fight until we can’t go any longer and that’s what keeps us together.”
The Mustangs extended their lead to two touchdowns as the second quarter began, when Krommenhoek caught a 21-yard touchdown pass. Senior quarterback Jake Haener was phenomenal in the first half, completing 12 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown. He was incredibly elusive in the pocket, avoiding a number of possible sacks and scrambling around to find the open receiver.
Haener was able to spread the ball around to a multitude of different receivers, such as Krommenhoek, Isaiah Randle, and Landman. Landman finished with 55 receiving yards on four catches and also wreaked havoc at linebacker, where he racked up many tackles and a sack. Randle showed off impressive big play ability, finishing with five catches and 93 yards.
Penalties were a major issue for Monte Vista throughout the game. Midway through the second quarter, a 38-yard touchdown catch and run by Perry was called back because of a holding penalty. The Mustangs also suffered two unsportsmanlike conduct calls along the way, as well as a shocking total of six false starts. These critical mistakes played a part in letting California back into the game.
Looking ahead to next week, Monte Vista welcomes in Granada, while California enjoys a bye week.
