SAN JOSE - With under four minutes to go and up by eight points, Serra quarterback Leki Nunn dropped back and found an open Chris Park running down the right sideline, who snagged it and ran in for a 38-yard touchdown. The touchdown extended Serra’s lead, and the Padres would go on to close it out for a 37-24 victory over the Archbishop Mitty Monarchs, capturing the CCS Open 2 championship.
Nunn was all over the field on this night, racking up a huge amount of yards from both throwing and running the football. The senior quarterback totaled 299 yards in the air and 165 yards on the ground. He also contributed on every Padre touchdown scored, throwing for three of them while running for two others. His role on his team has been big in every game Serra has played this season, but he truly stepped up when it mattered most.
“I never look up at the stands. Never,” said Nunn. “I just focus on the field. You see what you see on film, nothing lies. That’s as much focus as I need.”
Although Nunn ends his CCS career with a win, players such as junior Isiah Kendrick get to use the experience to take it with them for later on. Kendrick had a phenomenal game on the ground, rushing for 127 yards and adding a touchdown catch as well. His presence was much needed to break apart the gritty Monarch defensive line.
“The leadership on this team helps me a lot,” said Kendrick. “They taught me the ways to be humble and trust my teammates and coaches. We made it this far, which shows that it worked.”
The win gave the Padres their first CCS crown since their Open championship in 2013, in which they also beat the Monarchs in the final.
Mitty had been doubted all season long, but still came in to each playoff game with confidence. Their losing record in league play didn’t rattle their mindset heading into CCS competition, and their best players made the right decisions when it was needed. In this particular game, Phillip Tran’s role was as important as it would ever be. The senior went 13 of 37 for 304 yards including a passing touchdown, a rushing touchdown, and one late interception.
“Tran played well,” said Mitty head coach Keith Burns. “He’s everything we hoped that he would be. He’s been a great leader.”
Mitty’s biggest disadvantage on the night was injuries, with key players such as two-way stars senior Austin Kause and sophomore Joseph Vaughn out for the night.
The game itself was in the hands of the Padres the entire night, but the Monarchs kept inching their way closer each time Serra would attempt to extend their lead. The first quarter opened up right away with a Serra touchdown, after Nunn completed a short pass to junior wideout Shane Villaroman, who then burst up the left sideline for a 64-yard score.
Mitty was forced to punt twice in a row on their first couple possessions, but their second punt granted them a pot of gold. The Padres muffed the punt return, setting up the Monarchs on the three-yard line. Zondre Fara-Washington punched it in right before the first quarter ended, tying it up after 12 minutes of play.
In the second quarter, the only scoring that was done was a six-yard Nunn touchdown run that was set up by his 38-yard rushing play several plays prior. Right before the half ended, Mitty successfully blocked a 38-yard field attempt by the Padres. Although their presence on defense was there, the Monarchs knew that their lack of production on offense needed a fix. In the third quarter, a 30-yard field goal by freshman Damon Lewis put Serra up 13 points, but Mitty would respond immediately.
On the third down of their next drive, Tran launched a deep ball to a wide-open Jake Serpa, who took it the rest of the way for a 78-yard touchdown.
“We weren’t playing fast,” said Nunn on Serra’s early struggles in the second half. “Coach lit a fire underneath us, reminded us that it’s right in our fingers.”
Nunn would lead the Padres to two straight scores, one being on another throw to Villaroman, this time a 10-yard strike. The next would be a 32-yard touchdown throw to Kendrick. However, the Monarchs didn’t go away quite yet.
A couple drives later and deeper into the fourth quarter, Jalen Lewis snagged a 35-yard pass from Tran, which would then set up another chance for Mitty. Tran would keep it from three yards out, and converted the two-point conversion on a pass to Serpa as well, getting within eight points late in the game.
Nunn, however, halted any chance Mitty thought they had with his clutch 38-yard throw to Park on the ensuing drive to push their lead to 37-22 with just a few minutes to play. A late Monarch safety added to the scoreboard, but it proved to be all too late.
“Beating the same team twice in the same year is a ruthless task,” said Serra head coach Patrick Walsh after the win. “Keith Burns is one heck of a motivator, and it was a bitter fight to the end.”
Walsh has been coaching the Padres since 2001, earning his sixth WCAL title this year along with his 14th CCS appearance. He gives much credit to the system the school runs on.
“The Serra community of parents, players, and coaches- everybody kept their faith,” said Walsh.
Serra now waits to find out its placement in the CIF bowl system, while Mitty waits to find out if it will get one of the additional at-large berths from the CCS to the state regionals.
