MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - Timely special teams plays and late game heroics led St. Francis (8-1, 5-1 WCAL) to a 13-10 overtime victory against league rival Valley Christian (8-1, 5-1 WCAL). The win sets up St. Francis to capture the WCAL title next week with a victory over St. Ignatius.
A special teams touchdown towards the end of the third quarter caused a significant momentum shift, leading to the late game Lancer surge.
"It was a heck of a game," said St. Francis head coach Greg Calcagno. "It always goes down until the end; this one went into overtime like it did a couple of years ago."
With about three minutes left in the third quarter the Warriors had possession of the ball and were looking to back St. Francis up deep in their own territory. A strong rush on the punter led to a deflected kick that bounced and landed straight into the hands of senior Brandon Baines who promptly returned it 60 yards for the Lancer's first touchdown of the game.
A big play to pick up a struggling offense that failed to get anything going throughout the contest. Valley Christian's run defense had Cyrus Habibi-Likio - the Lancers' leading rusher - bottled up all night.
On Valley Christian's possession following the touchdown, senior cornerback Bennett Williams picked off a Miles Kendrick pass at the Warriors 25 yard-line. Another strong defensive stand by Valley Christian forced a field goal tying the game at 10-10.
In the middle of the third quarter, everything seemed to be clicking for Valley Christian. The offense consistently converted third-down opportunities and stopped the Lancer offense on each possession. Miles Kendrick led the way for the Warriors with 49 rushing yards on five carries, including a touchdown run of 48 yards early in the second quarter. Getting them out to a 7-0 lead at the time, but quickly after extending that cushion to 10-0 on a field goal. The score stayed at this mark until late in the third quarter.
"Our kids battled. They never gave up, so credit to them," said Calcagno.
This fight gave a relentless Lancer bunch the opportunity to win this game in overtime. After stopping the Warriors on their drive, all St. Francis had to do was make a field goal. That it did, St. Francis stole the game on an overtime chip shot by kicker Matt Keeth, capping a run of 13 unanswered points to win 13-10.
The Lancers who are now 5-1 in league play have a great chance to take home the crown.
"For the program, we have a chance to win a league title for the second year in a row," said Calcagno.
With an upcoming game against St. Ignatius the Lancers could potentially take one of the most competitive leagues in the Bay Area. However, Valley Christian is still in the running. In the event of a St. Francis loss and a win of their own, the Warriors would take the cake.
In the final week of league play the Lancers (8-1, 5-1 WCAL) will host St. Ignatius (4-5, 2-4 WCAL) and Valley Christian (8-1, 5-1 WCAL) will look to bounce back against Sacred Heart Cathedral (2-7, 1-5 WCAL).
