SAN MATEO, CA - Serra quarterback Leki Nunn's five-yard scamper answered St. Francis running back Cyrus Habibi-Likio's overtime touchdown, and his eight-yard pass to Shane Villaroman after coach Patrick Walsh decided to go for two and the win gave the Padres a thrilling 41-40 win over the previously unbeaten Lancers.
It appeared that Serra might have won the game in regulation when the Padres blocked Matt Keeth's 40-yard field goal attempt, but Serra rushed the field prematurely, resulting in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a second chance for Keeth. He drilled the 25-yard attempt to send the game to overtime tied at 33.
“Before the game, I told my guys that this was going to be a 48 minute game," Walsh said. "After regulation I pulled them over and told them that I lied, it was going to be more than that.”
St. Francis jumped in front early in the game, with a perfectly executed seven-play drive that resulted in a 21-yard touchdown run by Habibi-Likio, with 6:50 left in the first quarter to give the Lancers a 7-0 lead. Each team traded a couple of empty possessions, which ultimately gave the ball to the Padres on their own 28-yard line. A three-play, 72-yard drive was highlighted by a 45-yard touchdown pass from Nunn to Isiah Kendrick. A missed extra point made the score 7-6 with 10:16 left in the second quarter.
On Serra’s next possession, Nunn had a pass intercepted by cornerback Bennett Williams, which led to a St. Francis touchdown, making the score 14-6 with 6:26 left in the second. As time was winding down in the second quarter, Nunn rushed in from 29 yards out, cutting the deficit to one point as the teams headed into the locker rooms.
St. Francis received a boost early in the third quarter, when the snap on a Serra punt went through the end zone for a safety. The Lancers took advantage of the opportunity and scored again on a Habibi-Likio touchdown. The score was 23-13 with 6:36 left in the third and the Lancers were on the brink of breaking the game open. Serra, however, responded with 20 consecutive points, highlighted by a pair of scoring passes from Nunn to Villaroman.
Trailing by 10, the Lancers answered and on the next possession, fullback Opeti Fangupo bulldozed in for a one-yard touchdown rush, making the score 33-30 and setting the stage for the dramatic finish both in regulation and overtime.
