MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA -- With 32 seconds left in the game and Serra down by just 1 point, The Padres were near midfield. Quarterback Leki Nunn took the snap on fourth-and-eight and the game on the line, but his pocket quickly collapsed, he was sacked and an epic high school football game was essentially over.
“This is our football team,” said Lancer coach Greg Calgagno said. “We have battled every single game, we’ve been down in many games and found a way to come back and win.”
The St. Francis Lancers started off with a bang, returning the opening kickoff 80 yards to the house. Serra didn’t take long to respond, as two straight rushing touchdowns by Serra quarterback Leki Nunn brought the score to 14-7 in favor of Serra with 9:30 left in the second quarter.
When asked about Nunn, coach Patrick Walsh of Serra offered nothing but praise. “[Leki] has so much passion for the game and his friends, the sky is the limit for him.”
After a missed field goal attempt by the Lancers, Serra took over the ball on their own 20 yard line. It took only two big plays for the fast paced, Padre offense to put the ball in the end zone. A 51-yard rushing touchdown by running back Kelepi Lataimua, put Serra up 21-7 with 3:45 left in the half.
A field goal on the next possession by the Lancer kicker Courtney Ogren gave the St. Francis offense their first points since the opening kickoff. Another touchdown by Lataimua gave Serra a 28-10 lead with just a minute left in the half. Serra appeared close to breaking the game open. But St. Francis, bounced back. The Lancers had a third down and 30 to go on the Padre 35 yard line. A draw play caught the Serra defense off guard and running back Lutoviko Ahoia broke multiple tackles and scampered into the end zone for a 35 yard touchdown run. The score going into halftime had the Padres on top, 28-17.
Serra got the ball to start the second half. A quick fumble by Nunn gave St. Francis the football which turned into a Lancer touchdown. A missed two-point point conversion made the game 28-23 with 8:30 left in the third quarter. Game on.
Serra and St. Francis traded touchdowns again which made the score 35-30 with just a 1:48 left in the third. Both defenses held for most of the next quarter, until the Padres scored on 41 yard touchdown run by Nunn with 4:01 left in the game to go up 42-30. Nunn carried the Serra rushing offense this night with 20 rushing attempts for 220 yards and four touchdowns. A quick score by St. Francis sent a message that the game was not over. After a gutsy Lancer onside kick attempt failed, the Padres took possession near midfield. Three unsuccessful offensive plays left Serra coach Patrick Walsh with a decision on fourth-and-two. A first down might have secured the win for the Padres. Walsh took the risk.
“If [the score] was 7-3 then we would punt -- in a game that was as high scoring as this then I don’t question going for the conversion,” Walsh said.
The Lancer defense stopped Serra on the fourth down attempt and their offense took over at their own 40 yard line. A few big plays quickly put the Lancers in the red zone at the 4 yard line. Lancer running backs Tau Sanft promptly punched the ball into the end zone. This score, and a successful stop by the St. Francis defense completed an amazing 43-42 win and an amazing night of high school football.
