Well everyone, that brings the season to an end. Congratulations to the Grant Pacers, the Open Division champs. Being doubted by almost every single person in California seems to have been the best medicine for a Grant team that I think was certainly the best I've seen this year. All props to the Pacers. We hope you had fun following the action, and we'll see ya back on our normal blog soon.
Grant finishes their season undefeated at 14-0, knocking off the No. 1 ranked team in the state. Very impressive from this vantage point. Poly finishes 14-1.
FINAL SCORE: GRANT 25, LONG BEACH POLY 20
Grant drive (36.5 seconds in fourth): Pacers take over their own 41. Poly has just one timeout left. Koniseti takes a knee, and Poly is called for offsides on the snap. It's 1st-5 with 36.5 seconds left. Koniseti takes a knee and it looks like the clock is going to run out.
Poly drive (1:06 in fourth): Kickoff goes out of bounds and Poly chose to make the Pacers kick again. Poly ends up losing 9 yards and 5 seconds on the decision. Instead of starting at the 40, they'll begin at their own 31. Fennell completes McKay for a 19-yard pass a first down at the 50. There's a stoppage in play as a Grant player is shaken up at midfield. Howard was hurt, he walks off. Koniseti is in at free safety now. Fennell dropped back and managed to throw an incompletion with three Grant players hanging on him. 2nd-10. A swing pass to Barner falls off his fingertips. It was actually a good thing for Poly because the play was going nowhere. Fennell tries a screen pass and it falls incomplete. It comes down to 4th-10 from midfield with 44.3 seconds to go...Poly takes a timeout. Warren is back in the game on defense. Fennell completed it to Clay very close to the sticks. There will be a measurement. It's short by about three chain-links. Grant takes over on downs.
Grant drive (4:20 in fourth): A false start to begin the drive. 1st and 15 from the 27. Koniseti is forced to throw on the run and his dump pass to the tight end is dropped. On second down, Butler gets a big hole to the left and picks up 12 to the 39-yard line. It'll be 3rd-3. Koniseti completes a screen to McCauley who breaks two tackles and rambles to a first down at the LB 46. Butler gashes through a big hole again and picks up 21 yards to the LB 25. Another first down. Koniseti runs the same screen pass he used two plays ago to McCauley. This time McCauley picks up 8. Poly calls timeout with 2:13 on the clock. Grant will have 2nd-2 from the 17 when they come back. Koniseti keeps the ball and gets a first down at the 12. Butler gets the ball on a power left, but Daily-Lyles (Hawaii-commit) bursts through and tackles him for a 3-yard loss. On second down, Koniseti goes to McCauley who catches it at 3 and gets into the end zone for a TOUCHDOWN...An unsportsmanlike conduct call on Grant will move the PAT attempt back to the 17-yard line. The Pacers will call timeout and then go for two. The two point converstion is a completion to McCauley at the 5, but he's tackled immediately. And the score remains the same. It's Grant 25, Poly 20 with 1:11 to go in the game.
Poly drive (6:10 in fourth): Poly will begin at its own 34-yard line. Barner gets the ball on first down and loses a yard. Richardson carries on second down and is stopped for no gain. Fennell scrambles toward the right sideline and steps out of bounds for no gain. Poly punts the ball and it's downed at the Grant 32. We'll have a TV timeout, and then Grant will take over with 4:20 left in the game. It's still Poly 20, Grant 19.
Grant drive (9:36 in fourth): A squib kick is finally recovered by Grant at its own 12, but a late hit by Poly will give the Pacers the ball at their own 27. Koniseti runs the sneak on first down and picks up 3. Grant tries to go deep. McCauley had a step on the two defenders, but Koniseti's pass was just out of his reach. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, though, as a holding call will move Grant back to its own 20. Konisetti throws on 2nd down and completes it to Warren on the left sideline. Gain of 14, and it will be 3rd-4. Butler gets the ball on a dive and carries as many as five Poly defenders for a gain of 11. First down at the G 45. Butler gets it again on first down and picks up 4. Again it's Butler, and after being hit at the line of scrimmage, he bounces out to the right and gets all the way down to the LB 41. First down. Koniseti goes for a 10-yard slant, but it falls incomplete. On 2nd-10, Grant tries a backwards pass but Butler can't corral it and the ball rolls backward to the G 48 before Butler can recover it. Loss of 11. Koniseti completes to McCauley on a swing pass. It's a pick-up of 16, and Grant faces a 4th-6. Koniseti keeps the ball and gets just four yards, two yards shy of the marker. Poly will take over with 6:10 left in the game.
Poly drive (10:29 in fourth): Williams-Fox takes the kickoff to the LB 31, and that's where the J'Rabbits will start. Fennell throws deep on first down. It was underthrown and Poly receiver, Clay, had to break up a potential interception. Fennell completes to Westbrook on second down, he picks up a first down at the LB 45. After a night of struggles trying to run the football against Grant, Richardson finally broke into the secondary and out-sprinted the Pacers' safeties for a 55-yard TOUCHDOWN run. Poly takes a timeout to decide if they want to go for two here. They currently lead by one (20-19). The scoring drive was three plays, 69 yards in 50 seconds. The Jackrabbits are now lined up for a 2-pt. conversion. Westbrook was wide open, but Fennell overthrew him. So, with 9:39 left in the game, it's POLY 20, GRANT 19.
Grant drive cont. (12:00 in fourth): Grant goes the screen on 2nd down and Koniseti completes to Amey for a gain of one. Koniseti goes to the tight end on 3rd down, Aaron Jones hauls it in for 8 yards. It will be 4th-1 from the 6. Butler gets it on a counter left and is beyond the goal line before he's even touched. TOUCHDOWN, Pacers. Grant goes for the 2-pt conversion and Koniseti runs but is stopped at the 1-yard line. With 10:36 to go in the game, it's GRANT 19, POLY 14
END OF THREE QUARTERS: LONG BEACH POLY 14, GRANT 13
Grant drive (23 seconds in third): Butler carries for no gain and Grant will face 2nd and 10 from the 15 when we resume play.
Poly drive (2:10 in third): Jackrabbits have it on their own 28. Fennell hands to Richardson and he's got a gain of 5 to the 33. 2nd and 5. Richardson again, this time heading right, and he's stopped for pretty much no gain. He got one yard. 3rd and 4 from the 34. Poly motions into an empty backfield, Fennell throws, and it ricochets off his receiver, Jordan Johnson and into the hands of Marvin Lamb who picks it off! He spins and jukes down to the 15 and Grant is in business.
Grant drive (3:16 in third): It's a squib kick and Willie Johnson returns it to the Grant 39. 1st and 10 Pacers. Toss sweep to Butler and he's goin nowhere. The Poly front seven is dominating right now. No gain. 2nd and 10. Koniseti throws a quick screen to McCauley on the right side and he gets to the 47. We'll call it 3rd and 2. Another quick screen, this time left for Howard Warren, and it's incomplete. Throw was too low. Grant brings the punt unit on again. Matheny gets this one away and it rolls out of bounds around the 28.
Grant drive (5:12 in third): Butler carries from the 9 to the 15. 2nd and 4. Butler carries again for one yard. 3rd and 3 from the 16. Butler again and he lurches forward looking to get an extra yard or two. He didn't get it, and Grant will punt again from its own 18. Matheny drops into punt formation. Juwuan Brown busts up the middle and BLOCKS THE PUNT. George Daily-Lyles recovers around the five and takes it into the end zone! Roniss adds the PAT and just like that Poly leads. 3:16 left in the third quarter - Poly 14, Grant 13.
TODAY'S ATTENDANCE: 14,122. Total for the weekend - 21, 703
Poly drive (7:02 in third): Poly has it on the Grant 33. Bubble screen right to Clay but Marvin Lamb shuts that down with a good tackle. 2nd and 10. Richardson tries up the middle but continues to find the going tough. He got a yard. 3rd and 9 fron the 42. Fennell drops back and he gets LEVELED by Jordan Wallace. The hit knocks the ball loose and Poly falls on it. There was a hold on the play and that's declined by the Pacers. It brings up 4th down from the 40. Roniss to punt. His punt trickles out of bounds at the 9.
Grant drive (8:35 in third): Pacers will take the ball at their own 1. Devontae Butler on the carry and he gets nowhere. 2nd and 10 from the 1. Koniseti throws deep down the left side for Xavier Amey but it's not close. 3rd and 10 from the 1. Pass from Koniseti to McCauley but Stanjarivus McKay takes him down to bring up 4th and 2 on the 9. Matheny drops into punt formation. Punt taken by Darius Williams-Fox but the Jackrabbits accomplished their goal of shifting field position. They take over at the 33.
Poly drive (12:00 in third): Jackrabbits set to receive the second-half kickoff. Koniseti kicks off and it's fielded by Darius Williams-Fox and he returns to the 31. That's where Poly takes over, 1st and 10. Fennell drops to throw and Grant's Kevin Rich catches it out of bounds. Incomplete pass. 2nd and 10 on the 31. Daveon Barner runs up the middle and he's down to the Poly 47 for a first down. Fennell passes right to Damon Smith. He's taken down on the 50. Barner rushes to the 46. 3rd and 4. Fennell finds Kaelin Clay on the right side and he's all the way down to the 24. There's a flag in the backfield. It'll be a dead-ball personal foul on Poly. So, the Jackrabbits get the first down and then get backed up to the Grant 39. 1st and 10. Fennell throws a jump pass as he's being hit and it sails out of bounds. 2nd and 10. Richardson takes the handoff and tries to bounce left but he's got nowhere to go as the Pacers take him down at the line of scrimmage. 3rd and 10. Fennell passes, he's hit as he throws, and the pass sails over Westbrook's head. Alan Roniss on to punt for the Jackrabbits. Punt is downed at the 1-yard line.
Well, we got to the bottom of the staircase here and Snoop Dogg was walking by us. So, we're having a grand 'ole time. Here are some stats
Grant: Butler 9 carries, 34 yards; Koniseti 12 carries, 32 yards, 1 TD, 4-13-0 passing, 143 yards, 1 TD; Total yards 209.
Poly: Fennell 5-14-0 101 yards, 1 TD; Clay 1 catch, 65 yards, 1 TD; Total yards: 107.
We're going to take a slight break for halftime. See you in about 15 min.
END OF 1ST HALF -- GRANT 13, LONG BEACH POLY 7
Grant drive (1:07 in second): Koniseti throws incomplete on first down. Nearly intercepted by Kenny Tuiloma. Koniseti's arm is hit by Eli Edwards as he throws, the pass flutters incomplete. Koniseti runs a draw on third down and gets the first down at the G 49. Again, Koniseti keeps the ball and earns a minimal gain. It appears that the Pacers are more than content to take the lead into the half. On second down, the field is again littered with flags. Both fouls on Grant: Holding is refused, and illegal forward pass (Koniseti was beyond line of scrimmage) was accepted for a five-yard penalty and a loss of down. Grant runs a draw to Butler who picks up 18 yards before being brought down...AND THE HALF IS OVER.
Poly drive (3:05 in second): Poly goes to the deep ball yet again. Marvin Lamb intercepted the ball at the 5-yard line, but it was all for not after pass interference was called on the defense. Poly gets a 1st-10 at the G 33. Barner gets the carry on first down and he loses a yard. Grant blitzed on second down and nobody touches Howard Warren. Fennell is sacked for a 9-yard loss. Fennell gets drilled as he throws and completes it to Johnson for a 23-yard gain and a first down at the Grant 21. Barner gets the ball on a draw and loses two yards. Poly calls timeout with 1:29 left in the half. Out of the timeout, Fennell goes to the air again and hits Kaelin Clay in the end zone, but offensive pass interference nullifies the touchdown and Poly is moved back to its own 38. It'll be 3rd-and-a-long, long way. Fennell throws long again and it falls incomplete. Poly called timeout and will go for it on 4th. They throw for the end zone again, Clay comes down with it, but is out of bounds.
Grant drive (4:52 in second): The Pacers will start in good field position after a strong kick return by McCauley. Grant will begin at its own 44. Koniseti drops back and he's quickly collared by Zakeem Williams for a sack and a 7-yard loss. Butler gets the carry on second down and loses a yard after four Poly players meet him all at the same time. Facing a 3rd-19, the Pacers will call a timeout. Out of the timeout, Grant drops back to pass and Koniseti scrambles. He's drilled by Matauaina Iosia, the ball pops loose and Corey Waller recovers it. Poly ball.
Poly drive (5:14 in second): Poly takes over at its own 35. Fennell passes on first down and grossly overthrows receiver Julian Camper. A deep throw to Jordan Johnson is complete, but Johnson was not in bounds. On third down, the deep ball finally works. Fennell hits Kaelin Clay in stride for a 65 yard TOUCHDOWN stirike. The PAT is good, and with 4:52 left in the half, it's GRANT 13, POLY 7.
Grant drive (7:27 in second): Grant begins with a draw for Koniseti. He picks up two yards to the 36. Koniseti scrambles on second down and picks up 5. It will be 3rd-3 from the G 43. Butler gets the carry and stumbles early and lunges, but he winds up an inch short. Grant will line up to go for it. Butler dives left and gets a first down at the G 46. Screen pass to McCauley and it picks up a first down at the LB 43. Butler breaks loose and gets down to the 25 before he's stripped by Tepa. Tepa takes off the other way, also fumbles, but the Jackrabbits' Jawon Brown recovered and Poly keeps the ball.
Poly drive (10:38 in second): Fennell tries to throw left on first down and it falls incomplete. Richardson fumbles on second down, but Poly's Joseph Croom recovers and it's 3rd-6. The pocket breaks down and Fennell is forced to scramble, he's brought down by middle linebacker Jeremiah Toma after a gain of just two. Poly will line up to punt again. OH, BUT WAIT -- An illegal subsitution by Grant will give a first down the J'Rabbits. It's 1st-10 at the LB 42. Barner gets the carry on first down and gets three yards to the 45. Barner carries on second down and gets inside the left tackle for a gain of 4. Fennell throws incomplete on a third down, but there is a flag on the play. It's holding, and Grant will choose to back them up. Poly will now face a 3rd-18 from its own 33. The sceen to Barner was wide open, but the pass fell short. And again the punting team comes out. Warren makes a fair catch at the Grant 35.
--Random observation: The long pass to Warren was the fourth time in the game that Grant has decided to pick on defensive back Lazari Middleton - a commit to Nebraska. He was the victim on the long TD pass in the first quarter, also.
Grant drive (11:52 in second): Koniseti drops back on first down and is sacked by Tepa. Loss of 6. Koniseti drops back on second down and tried to float a pass to the flat, but it's overthrown. 3rd-16 from the 40. Koniseti's pass on third down was intended for McCauley, but it was thrown too high. There was a flag for an illegal shift on Grant. It was declined. And it's 4th-16. Koniseti goes deep down the left sideline and connects with Howard Warren on a great as he fell out of bounds. First and goal from the 2, and Koniseti sneaks it in for a TOUCHDOWN. PAT is no good and with 10:44 to go in the half it's GRANT 13, POLY 0.
Poly drive cont. (12:00 in second): Jackrabbits will start the half facing a 4th-9 from their own 16. Poly punts and it's a line drive. Grant will open with great field position at the LB 34.
END OF FIRST QUARTER: GRANT 7, LONG BEACH POLY 0.
Poly drive (1:25 in first): Jackrabbits get the ball on the 15. Richardson gets the first down carry and he's down on the 16 after a gain of one. 2nd and 9. Richardson gets it again and he falls forward for another gain of one. 3rd and 8 upcoming. Fennell looks to throw and has to pull it down. He runs right into the arms of Edward Robinson and that's the end of the first quarter.
Grant drive (3:56 in first): 1st and 10 Grant on the Poly 47. Movement before the snap and that'll be a false start on Grant. Ball back to the Grant 48, 1st and 15. Toss to Butler and he looks to throw before having to pull it down and go down on the 45. Loss of three. 2nd and 18. Quick slant from Koniseti to Ronald Fields and he turns upfield for a big gain. Ball down to the 15. 1st and 10. QB sneak by Koniseti and he's down to the 12. 2nd and 7. Toss to Butler and the Poly defense rallies to the ball, dropping him for a loss. Loss of three to the 15. 3rd and 10. Koniseti throws over the middle but McKay knocks it down. Nice DB play there. Brings up 4th and 10 from the 15. Koniseti lofts one for the end zone but Xavier Amey can't quite catch it in bounds. Poly takes over on the 15.
Poly drive (5:14 in first): Jackrabbits take over on their own 16. Melvin Richardson runs into the line and Tony Matavale nails him. Nice hit there. One yard gain for Richardson and it's 2nd and 9 on the 17. Fennell throws deep for Kaelin Clay but it's incomplete. 3rd and 9. Screen pass from Fennell to Barner, there's a flag for holding, and the play goes nowhere. Grant declines the penalty, bringing up 4th down on the 19. Roniss to punt. False start on the play backs Poly up to the 14. Howard Warren back deep for Grant. Warren fields it on the Poly47 and he's down immediately.
Grant drive (6:45 in first): Butler on the first down carry and he's down to the 20. That's a gain of 1 and it's 2nd and 9. Koniseti rolls right and Stanjarivus McKay nearly intercepts the pass. In fact, the entire Poly defense thought he picked it off and left the field! They're back now, and it's 3rd and 9. Koniseti keeps and he's down to the 16. 4th and 5. Timeout Grant. Koniseti throws to the corner of the end zone for McCauley but it's overthrown just a tad and it's an incompletion. Poly takes over on downs.
Poly drive (6:59 in first): Kickoff taken by Jordan Johnson on the 5 and he returns to the 20 before fumbling! Grant has the ball! It's Tony Matavale with it.
Grant drive (7:09 in first): Grant gets the ball on its own 46. Koniseti to pass and he lofts a PERFECTLY THROWN BALL to Darvin McCauley and he's into the end zone for a touchdown. Koniseti's pump fake got the DB to bite big time. Koniseti's PAT is good. 6:59 left in the first quarter - Grant 7, Long Beach Poly 0.
Poly drive (10:15 in first): Morgan Fennell under center and he gives to Melvin Richardson, who picks up 5 to the 25. 2nd and 5. Richardson again, this time heading left, and he's tackled for no gain. 3rd and 5. Poly goes five receivers and Fennell hits Jordan Johnson along the left sideline. First down on the 31. Westbrook motions right and Fennell hits him in stride. He stumbles out to the 37 for a gain of 6. 2nd and 4. Toss left to Daveon Barner and he's corraled in the backfield by a couple Pacers, led by Jordan Wallace. He loses two yards and it's 3rd and 6 from the 35. Westbrook goes down the middle and he's wide open but Fennell can't put it on him in a catchable spot. Incomplete pass brings up 4th and 6. Roniss on to punt. Howard Warren to return for Grant. Roniss' punt isn't too good, and Grant gets the ball on its own 46.
Grant drive (12:00 left in the first): Darvin McCauley and Cory Westbrook back deep for the Pacers. Matt Roniss squibs it for Poly and Jordan Wallace retrieves the ball and rumbles forward to the Poly 46. Good return for Grant. 1st and 10 from the Poly 46. Kipeli Koniseti hands to Devontae Butler and he's just inside the 45. Koniseti keeps on second down and he's too the 40. Call it 3rd and 4. Koniseti keeps again and he's nailed by a couple Poly defenders. Flag on the play is for holding on Grant. That penalty is declined. 4th and 5 and the Pacers will play field position, lining up for a punt. Jaymee Matheny punts and Darius Williams-Fox fields the ball in his own end zone for a touchback.
- Captains for tonight:
Grant - Kipeli Koniseti, Alesana Laban, Jeremiah Toma, Darvin McCauley
Poly - Morgan Fennell, Edward Robinson, George Daily Lyles, Iuta Tepa
Grant wins the toss and the Pacers will receive.
- From what I can tell, Poly has six defensive starters with Division I offers. Three have signed already. That's a little talent, eh?
-Poly has taken the field now. They are in their dark green home jerseys with gold pants and very shiny gold helmets. Grant takes the field in their visiting white uniforms with blue numbers. They have bright yellow pants and helmets.
-Ben is enjoying himself plugging Long Beach Poly names into the search functions of Rivals.com. He claims to have found profiles basically the entire defense already. Which is not surprising, since Poly has been a defensive powerhouse for quite some time -- especially the last two seasons.
-Kickoff is slated for 8:06 p.m.. Both teams have gone through warmups and have returned to the lockerroom for Big Speech Time. Grant has travelled well, bringing a good-sized crowd. Poly, on the other hand, has brought a small army. I would estimate that there are at least 5,000-6,000 fans on their side of the stadium. And the fans are still making their way over there.
-Alright people, well this is the "main" event. Long Beach Poly (14-0), the No. 1 ranked team in the state, will be hoping to finish out a perfect season and essentially wrap up the "state championship". And then they're Grant (13-0), ranked No. 6 in the state, which will be trying to show well and deserved the invitation and belongs in a game of this magnitude.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Live from CIF state football (Day 2): Division II and III
We'll take another break, and we'll be back a few minutes prior to kickoff of the Grant-Poly game. Heck, maybe even more than a few minutes prior. You never know. See you around 8 p.m. or so.
FINAL SCORE: CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC 37, ST. MARY'S 34
- Cathedral Catholic takes over on its own 33 with 1:59 remaining in the game. SM has two timeouts left. I'm gonna go out on a limb here, but I think Gaffney's going to get the ball. Toss left and Gaffney carries to the 38. 2nd and 5. Clock running. Gaffney runs to the 42 and SM calls timeout. 3rd and 2 upcoming, and St. Mary's calls timeout. 1:15 left in the game. Jumbo formation, it's Gaffney, he appears to have the first down but there's a flag on the play. Illegal shift on CC. Back 'em up 5 to the 37 and we'll now have third and seven. Hipp rolls left and finds - who else - Gaffney. He's down on the SM 46. Clock runs and that should do it. CC will take one knee and that's all she wrote.
- Short kickoff returned to the 28. Now, it's Cody Vaz's turn. 4:42 left in the game. Vaz throws for Chaz Smith but it ricochets off his pads and falls for an incompletion. Gaffney now has 329 yards and 5 TD. 2nd and 10. Hitch to Lecich along the right sideline and he's out on the 37. 3rd and 1. Vaz sneaks for the first down. Ball on the SM 39. Vaz checks down to Lechich, who is out of bounds at the 50. First down SM. Handoff to Guyton and he's down at the line of scrimmage. 2nd and 10 from the 50. Vaz throws for Smith on a deep out and Smith can't hang on. 3rd and 10. Vaz under heavy pressure and he's hit as he throws, forcing an incompletion. Timeout Cathedral Catholic. 3:33 left in the game. CC leading 37-34. SM is going for it. Vaz with a laser and Lechich makes an amazing catch. What a play by both players. Ball down to the 39. 1st and 10 SM. Lechich has to have 15 catches now. Vaz fires right for Michaels but it's incomplete. 2nd and 10. Screen for Guyton is incomplete and a flag flies after the play. It's for an ineligible man downfield. That backs SM up to the 44. Vaz under pressure and he's sacked. Down on the CC 49. That brings up 3rd and about 20. Vaz over the middle to Lecich, who catches it in between two defenders. He's short of the first though, as he's down on the 33. 4th and about 4. Timeout SM. 2:03 left in the game.
This is so exciting, I'm using an extra return! 4th and about 4 from the CC 33. 2:03 left in the game. It's a fade down the left sideline for Lechich and he can't quite catch it. Turnover on downs.
-Kickoff returned to the 35. CC takes over with 5:43 left in the game. Gaffney goes up the middle and he's down to the 38. 2nd and 7. Hipp runs the option left and he's down to the CC 49. First down. Gaffney goes left and HE'S GONE! 51-yard touchdown run! Tyler Gaffney's gonna remember this game for a long, long time. PAT is good and with 4:45 left, the score is Cathedral Catholic 37, St. Mary's 34.
- Ferreira's kickoff is taken on the 4 by Chad West who looks down (I think he thought he was in the end zone), takes off, AND BUSTS FREE. West SCORES! That's a 96 yard return for a TD with 5:54 left in the game. Villareal kicks the PAT and with 5:54 remaining in the game, it's St. Mary's 34, Cathedral Catholic 30.
- Cathedral calls for a fair catch on its own 30. 9:38 left in the game. Gaffney heads right but can't find any real estate. He gets a yard, and it'll be 2nd and 9 at the 31. Toss sweep left by Gaffney and he's down to the 36. 3rd and 4. Hipp completes over the middle to Harrington and he escapes his man and heads downfield. SM fans are reacting to the replay, which showed Harrington's knee was down at the point of the catch. Anyway, CC takes it at the 33. Illegal substitution on CC backs them up to the 38. Hipp rolls right, fires down the right sideline, and Austin Joshua breaks it up with a one-handed swat. Nice defense there. Sweep left by Thomas and he doesn't get much. Taken down on the 34. 3rd and about 11 upcoming. Gaffney takes the pitch and stumbles in the backfield. He's down on the 33. 4th and 10. CC will go for it with 6:40 left in the game. SM fans are going nuts. Toss sweep right to Gaffney, who PULLS UP AND THROWS back to Hipp. Hipp makes the catch all alone and runs down to the 3. Add a face mask and CC has it on the 1. Gaffney takes a stroll off the right side and he's in for the score. What a game! The PAT is good. 6:10 left in the game and it's Cathedral Catholic 30, St. Mary's 27.
- SM takes over on its own 16. Vaz throws long for Smith and it's incomplete. 2nd and 10. Inside run by Guyton and he's out to the 20. 3rd and 6 upcoming. The Rams go trips right and Vaz looks left, finding Lechich out to the 39. First down SM. Howze gets the handoff and sweeps right, going down at the 43. 2nd and 6. Vaz looks downfield and checks down to Lechich over the middle. He's out to the 50 and that's a St. Mary's first down. 1st and 10 on the 50. Handoff to Howze, who heads into the middle of the line, cuts back left, and heads downfield to the 10. 1st and goal just inside the 10. Howze goes off tackle right and he's taken down at the line of scrimmage. Injury on the play. Vaz has broken Nick Goodspeed of Palo Alto's passing record here at the CIF bowl games. Gaffney currently has 26 carries for 266 yards. So, records are falling tonight.
Injured Ram isn't on the roster. Vaz sets up, throws right, and finds Alex Michaels in the end zone for a touchdown! PAT try by Villareal is good. 9:38 remaining in the game - St. Mary's 27, Cathedral Catholic 23.
- Cathedral Catholic resumes its drive at the SM 33. 2nd and about 7. CC goes to a power formation, Gaffney gets first down yardage, fumbles, and St. Mary's has it! Ball recovered by Andy Hurst. 11:47 left in the game.
END OF THIRD QUARTER: CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC 23, ST. MARY'S 20
- Villareal's kick is into the end zone for a touchback. CC takes over at the 20. What more does Gaffney have in store for everyone tonight? Gaffney drags a defender for a couple yards and is finally down on the 25. 2nd and 5. This time he goes right, spins at the boundary, and picks up an extra few yards. First down CC on the 37. Sweep right by Derek Thomas and he's got another CC first down. Ball on the St. Mary's 49. Hipp throws incomplete. Flag on the play is for ineligible man downfield on CC. Quick handoff to Gaffney and this time he only gets minimal yardage. He's down on the CC 48. 2nd and 14 upcoming. Sweep right by Gaffney and Lechich runs him out of bounds at the SM 45. 3rd down. Hipp throws over the middle to Brad (don't call me Al) Harrington. He's got a first down at the 35. Gaffney carries for a couple and that's the end of the quarter.
- St. Mary's takes over and immediately Vaz finds Lechich down to midfield. Run by Howze and he's out to the CC 47. There's and injured Ram, and it's Lechich. He's up and off the field. 2nd and 7. Vaz scrambles right and gets rid of it, throwing it out of bounds. 3rd and 7. Trips left for the Rams. Vaz finds Chaz Smith, who runs to the left sideline and gets nailed. He's got plenty for a first down though, down to the 27. That was a nice catch and a nice throw. Vaz put it in a spot where only Smith could get it. First and 10. Handoff to Guyton and he's down on the 24. 2nd and 7. Vaz to Justin Cox in the right flat and he's hit immediately. Loss of four yards. Ball on the 28. 3rd and 11. Vaz finds Lechich on a skinny post and he's down to the 8. First down and goal for St. Mary's. Vaz lofts one over two defenders in the end zone and finds Lechich for the TD. Flag on the play is against CC and is declined. Great throw by Vaz. PAT by Moses Villareal is blocked by, guess who, Mr. Gaffney. With 2:44 left in the quarter, it's Cathedral Catholic 23, St. Mary's 20.
-CC wastes no time in giving the ball to Gaffney again. He picks up 6. Gaffney carriesand picks up a first down at the 37. The run sets the single-game rushing record for a CIF state bowl game. He's currently at 197. Hipp is sacked on first down, a loss of 17 back to the CC 22. Then a delay of game moves it to the 17. But that doesn't matter as Hipp unleashes a bomb to Alex Pascale. It goes for 57 yards to the SM 26. More of Gaffney. His second down run picks up six and they'll have a 3rd-1 at the 17. Gaffney picks up the first with a 2-yard run to the 15. He was a little shaken up on the play, but goes off under his own power. With Gaffney out, the CC gives the ball to Jose Balistrieri and he gets just one yard. That was followed by an incomplete pass from Hipp. It's now 3rd-9 from the 14. Gaffney's held short of the first down and Roman Ferreira kicks a 27-yard FG. Cathedral Catholic 23, St. Mary's 14, 5:08 left in third.
-With 10:00 to go in the 3rd Q, it's Catherdal Catholic 20, St. Mary's-Stockton 14.
-We're getting ready to start the second half here. St. Mary's will begin the half with the football. Chad West returned the kickoff 29 yards to the SM 30. Ray Guyton ran the ball on first down, picking up four yards on a dive. Vaz's second-down pass attempt was knocked incomplete, but on third down he connects with Justin Cox for a first down at the CC 47 . Maurice Howze carries on first down and picks up 7. Howze again on second down gets the handoff on a counter and makes two very nice cutbacks and picks up a first down at the 15. Incomplete pass on first down, and a short three-yard pass on second. It's 3rd-7 at the 12. A crazy play ensues as Vaz's pass is batted right back into his arms, he then throws it again (which turns out to be an illegal forward pass) and it's dropped in the end zone by his receiver. The penalty moved it back to the 21 and the Rams went for it and Vaz's pass fell incomplete. CC takes over at its own 21.
- Ben's general impressions: That Cody Vaz for St. Mary's is GOOD. He's going to Oregon State next year. Also impressive is Cathedral Catholic RB Tyler Gaffney. He's listed as a fullback on Rivals and he's getting a bunch of Pac-10 looks. Gaffney has 185 yards and 3 TD already. Vaz is 16-21 for 180 yards and 2 TD.
-We've reached the half of the Division II game -- which is actually turning out to be quite a contest. It is Cathedral Catholic 20, St. Mary's-Stockton 14.
-Just checking in with a Division II score update...It's St. Mary's-Stockton 14, Cathedral Catholic 14, end 1Q (We'll check in periodically, and if it stays close, we'll give you play-by-play down the stretch).
We'll take an extended break, but we'll check in somewhere around the middle of the Division II game between Cathedral Catholic and St. Mary's-Stockton. See ya in a while.
FINAL SCORE: ST. BONAVENTURE 28, CARDINAL NEWMAN 6
- Rodarte with a short gain on first down for the Seraphs. Hall carries on second down and he's down on the 26, a first down for St. Bonaventure. 3:30 left in the game and counting. The starters exit to a big hand from the Bonnies crowd. New QB is the kicker, Derek Kirk. Diamond Schouder on the carry and he loses four. Back to the 22. This time its Marcus Langkilde and he's down on the 31. Nine-yard gain. 3rd and about six. Kirk rolls right and throws a screen to Langkilde. He's down to the 37 and with that first down, this thing is pretty much over. Schouder carries across midfield and he's down on the Cardinal 49. The Seraphs will run one more play and this thing will be over. It's Schouder out of bounds on the 37. First down. SB coach Todd Therrien just got a Gatorade shower on the far sideline. Kirk takes a knee and it's over.
-SCORE UPDATE -- W/ 4:18 left in the game it's St. Bonaventure 28, Cardinal Newman 6
-SB was actually offsides on the kickoff. We'll back it up and do it again from the 35. And now the kick goes out of bounds, so CN will take over at their own 40. A five-yard out to Amaral is complete for a pickup of, well, 5. Ferguson then runs for one yard and CN faces a 3rd-4. Wright finds Wyatt North on a short hook over the middle. It's enough for the first down. Badger takes the ball on first down and gets 10 yards for another first down at the SB 38. Wright is forced to go to his last read, a dump pass to Badger for four yards. On second down, he goes to Amaral on an out. It's Amaral's 10th catch of the game and it's enough for a first down at the SB 25. CN takes a timeout. Ferguson gets the first carry following the timeout. He loses a yard. Wright looks for Amaral on another out, but he overthrows him. Another draw attempt to Ferguson and he loses a yard. So it's 4th-13 from the 28. Wright finds a receiver, it's Miller over the middle and it's enough for the first down at the SB 11. Play has stopped for an injury timeout. Daniel Miguel of SB was shaken up on the play. Badger gets the ball on a dive and gets to the 7-yard line. Wright gets tons of time in the pocket, but nobody is open. The result is an 7-yard loss to the 14. He scrambles on third down before getting abolustely PUNISHED by Dylan Davis at the 8. Screen pass to Ferguson on fourth down is a 3-yard loss, and SB takes over at the 11.
- Seraphs resume their drive on the 50 yard line with a first down. Meyer fires over the middle for Blackledge but it's incomplete. 2nd and 10. Blackledge busts through the right side of the line and actually outruns his downfield blockers. He's taken down on the Cardinal Newman 30. First down St. Bonaventure. Meyer throws deep for Rodarte and it's broken up. 2nd and 10. Meyer throws deep down the right side and it's incomplete. 3rd and 10. Hall gets the carry and he's taken down on the 30. No gain. 4th and 10. Meyer steps up in the pocket and completes to Rodarte. He's down on the 14 and that's another Seraph first down. Slip screen left to Drew Gibson, who cuts back into the middle of the field and into the end zone. TOUCHDOWN ST. BONAVENTURE. Kirk with the PAT and with 10:15 remaining, the score is St. Bonaventure 28, Cardinal Newman 6.
- Celebrity sighting: Joe and Jennifer Montana are in the house. They're sitting with the Cardinal Newman crowd.
END OF THIRD QUARTER: ST. BONAVENTURE 21, CARDINAL NEWMAN 6.
- St. Bonaventure takes over on its own 34. Meyer throws deep and finds his man. He's down on the 50.
- Derek Kirk drives the kickoff to the 3, where Badger takes it and carries to the 22. First down Cardinal Newman. Cardinals go stack right with three receivers and Wright can't find anyone open. He pulls it down and carries to the 27. 2nd and 5. Ferguson on the carry and he's down on the 29. 3rd and 3. Trips left and Wright fires for Amaral with no success. 4th and 3 upcoming. CN going for it but there's a flag on the play. False start on the Cardinals. 4th and 8 now and the Cardinals will punt. Bad snap but Wright gets it away and gets blasted by a Seraph. We'll have a personal foul roughing the punter and that gives CN the ball on the 40.
Wright throws the out pattern left to Amaral and he's down on the CN 47. 2nd and 3. Ferguson bounces outside to the right and has a good gain. He's finally dragged down at the St. Bonaventure 41. First down Cardinal Newman. Wright throws the deep ball down the left sideline for Casey Miller but it's just a bit too far. 2nd and 10 upcoming from the 41. Busted play on a bad shotgun snap and Wright is taken down on the 44. 3rd and 13. Wright fires left for Amaral but it bounces off his hands. There are about three Cardinals down on the field. Two pop up, but one is still down.
Injured lineman was Jonathan Steele. He's up and limping off the field. 4th and 13 upcoming for Cardinal Newman. It's a fake punt and Wright throws downfield for Chris Reuter but it's incomplete. There's a flag on the play, and it's defensive holding on St. Bonaventure. That brings up 4th and 3. Ferguson on the carry and he's short of the first down.
-SB will start on its own 24. Meyer in the shotgun flanked by Hall, who gets the carry on a draw and takes it seven yards to the 31. Meyer passes to Rodarte on a WR screen. The play picks up nine yards to the 40. This time Meyer goes with a WR screen to the opposite side, finding Drew Girson who picks up 13 yards and takes it into CN territory. First down at the CN 47. Meyer throws a swing pass to Hall on the right side. He gets three yards. Blackledge carries on second down and gets one yard at best. 3rd and a long 6 coming up. Flags fly and we'll have a false start called on the Bonnies. It's now 3rd and 11 from just inside the 50. A bubble screen to Girson gets a big gain, 25 yards down to the CN 25. Blackledge gets the ball on a sweep and breaks it down the left sideline for a 25-yard TOUCHDOWN... PAT is good and with 4:18 to to in the third quarter, it's ST. BONAVENTURE 21, CARDINAL NEWMAN 6
- Badger and Ferguson back deep to return. It's Ferguson from the 3 to the 32. That's where the Cardinals begin the drive. Badger on the carry and he struggles to get back to the line of scrimmage. No gain on the play brings up second down. The Seraphs bring a blitz and the Cardinals pick it up, allowing Wright to find Amaral on the right side to the 35. 3rd and 7. Wright finds Amaral again and this time the Cardinals have the first down. Ball spotted on the CN 47. Badger gets the first down carry and he's down on the St. Bonaventure 48. Call it second and 5. Wright to Amaral and he's out to the 39. The Cardinals are picking up steam. Badger dropped for a loss on the 41. Hall on the tackle. Brings up 2nd and 12. Screen for Ferguson but P.J. Gremaud is all over that. Ball on the 40. 3rd and 11. Wright throws for Amaral in double coverage and J.B. Dock breaks it up. Wright will punt. End over end kick taken by Rodarte to the 24. 7:52 left in the third. Still 14-6 Bonnies.
- Cardinal Newman will get the ball to begin the second half.
-We still have at least 10 more minutes before we kickoff for the second half. Here's a few halftime numbers while we wait...Badger has 11 carries for 61 yards, Amaral has 4 catches for 23 yards, Wright is 8-15 for 57 yards. Cardinal Newman has 154 yards of total offense, and St. Bonaventure has 146. Hall is the Seraphs leading rusher with 4 carries for 60 yards.
HALFTIME: ST. BONAVENTURE 14, CARDINAL NEWMAN 6.
- CN gets the ball on the SB 44 with 43.6 seconds left in the half. Wright finds Amaral out of the right slot and Paul Cronin takes timeout. The ball is down on the 36. 2nd and 2 upcoming with 35.7 seconds left in the half. This time Amaral lines up in the left slot and Wright finds him again, down to the 30. First down CN with the clock running. Draw to Ferguson and he's all the way down to the 19. Clock still running. Wright throws for a diving Amaral but he just quite can't come up with it (according to the officials. the replay we're seeing looks an awful lot like a catch). Brings up 2nd down on the 19 with 6 seconds left in the half. Wright will line up for a 36-yard FG from the left hashmark and he's got it. That's the final play of the half.
- What a fluke play. Meyer was trying to get rid of the ball and it hit his guy in the heel and popped up.
- Seraphs take the ball on their own 45 with 1:42 remaining in the half. Meyer throws deep by North breaks it up. There's a flag on the play, because it looks like the motion man was moving forward when the ball was snapped. That backs SB up to the 40. 1st and 15. Meyer throws to the left side for Rodarte but North is there again to break it up. 2nd and 15. Blackledge runs up the middle and he's down to the 45. 3rd and 10 upcoming. Meyer rolls right, hits his receiver in the heel (WHOA) and it pops up to a Cardinal defender. It's Teyo Green with the ball!
- CN takes over and Ferguson dances to the 37 for a first down. Badger gets it on first down and he's down on the 38. 2nd and 9 upcoming. Wright throws an out to the right side and finds Casey Miller. He's down on the 45. Brings up 3rd and 2. Badger up the middle and he goes untouched until he's finally taken down on the St. Bonaventure 39. Great blocking up front there and Badger hit the hole with authority.
3:09 left in the half. CN has first down on the SB 39. Ferguson runs into the middle of the line and Ryan Frazier is there to greet him rudely. Give Ferguson a gain of 1 to the 38. 2nd and 9. Badger tries to hurdle his way through the middle of the line and he's down to the 35. 3rd and 6. Timeout Cardinal Newman with 1:51 left in the half.
Cardinal Newman has 3rd and 6 upcoming from the Seraphs 35. Wright's attempt for a screen to Ferguson is incomplete. SB brought the pressure that time. 4th and 6 upcoming, and CN will go for it. Wright to pass and he's LEVELED by Cody Kurz. SB takes over on the 45 with 1:42 left in the half.
-Cardinal's kickoff sails out of bounds and St. Bonny takes over at its own 35. Blackledge gets the handoff on first down and gets a minimal gain. Play action pass on second down finds the tight end Zack Meyer. It goes for 19 and a first down at the CN 45. Hall gets the next carry and takes it two yards to the 43. Langkilde gets the ball on second down and loses three yards as Jonathan Steele meets up in the backfield. On third and long, Meyer completes a 19-yard pass to Nolan Rodarte despite being under heavy pressure. Hall then takes the ball on first down and coughs it up. Badger recovered the loose ball and CN takes over at their own 27.
- The Cardinals resume their drive on the 25 facing 2nd and 4. Wright hands to Badger, who bounces outside to the left and picks up a first down. He's down on the 34. Wright goes option right but tries to cut back inside and has nothing to show for it. He got a yard. 2nd and 9 from the 35. Wright throws a quick out to Amaral on the right side and he's just shy of the 44. Officials call timeout for a measurement. Measurement shows a first down for CN. So, the Cardinals continue first and 10 from their own 44. Inside handoff to Badger, who hurdles a defender and reaches the second level. He's down on the SB 45, first and 10 CN.
This time it's Ferguson, and he gets a good chunk of yardage. He's down on the 38. Wright throws outside for Casey Miller but he can't quite haul it in. 3rd and 2. Badger gets it and he's got a first down on the 32. Ferguson on the carry down to the 28. 2nd and 6. Wright throws another out, this time to Amaral. He's out on the 25, bringing up 3rd and 3. Badger the carry and it looks like he got just enough for a first down. Call him down on the 21. 1st down Cardinal Newman.
Wright looks right, comes back left and finds Wyatt North in the middle of the field. He's down on the 8. 1st and goal CN. Badger runs right to the 4. Wright throws into double coverage for Amaral and it's broken up. 3rd and goal upcoming. Wright throws a laser for Miller in the right corner but it's too high and a bit early. CN will bring on the field goal unit, which means Wright will switch hats and attempt a 22-yard field goal. It's up and it's good. 7:19 remaining in the first half, St. Bonaventure 14, Cardinal Newman 3.
END OF FIRST QUARTER: ST. BONAVENTURE 14, CARDINAL NEWMAN 0.
- Cardinal takes over at the 19 and Wright gets six yards on a keeper. That ends the first quarter.
-Momentum definitely on the side of Seraphs at the moment. Cardinal Newman will need to find its passing game, because it doesn't look like the three- and four-yard dives are gonna get it done.
-Blackledge takes it on a counter on first down. He picks up 10 and it will be first and goal at the 10-yard line. Blackledge on a dive and he knifes through the CN defensive front for 8 yards. The next play is a fullback dive and Marcus Langkilde takes it into the end zone TOUCHDOWN. PAT is good and WITH 20.8 SECONDS TO GO IN THE FIRST QUARTER, IT'S ST. BONNY 14-0.
- Kirk kicks off for St. Bonaventure and Ferguson's momentum carries him into the end zone for a touchback. First and 10 from the 20 for the Cardinals. Wright in the gun to start the drive and flags fly for a false start. Back 'em up to the 15, 1st and 15. Wright looks right, resets and looks left, and finally getes wrapped up in the backfield by James Emma. That was a coverage sack. Ball back to the 10, 2nd and 20. Ferguson gets the inside handoff and he gets a couple yards back. He's down on the 15. 3rd and 15 upcoming. Wright throws for Amaral but there were two defenders there and he had a very small window to work with. It's incomplete, and Wright will punt. Wright's kick is a pop-up, and the Bonnies will get the ball on the CN 25.
- St. Bonaventure gets the ball on its own 36 with 3:56 left in the quarter. And, it's commercial time. Logan Meyer hands off to Devon Blackledge and he's down to the 44. Call it an eight yard gain and it brings up 2nd and 2. Patrick Hall gets the ball and he's got a first down on the Bonnies' 47. Hall again and he breaks up the middle and he outruns everyone to the end zone. That wasn't necessarily great blocking by SB, but Hall made it look easy once he got to the second level. He was just faster and shiftier than anyone CN had. Left-footed kicker Derek Kirk on for the PAT and with 2:56 remaining in the first quarter, the score is St. Bonaventure 7, Cardinal Newman 0.
-Badger gets the ball on first down and gets four. It seems they are using him more early in the game, as opposed to last week against Clayton Valley. Badger gets 3 more on second down. It's 3rd and 4. Wright drops back but ends up with loss of two on what was definitely a coverage sack. He had nowhere to go. CN punts and it's a good kick from Wright. Ball down at the SB 36.
-Cardinal will start on it's 9-yard line. Badger gets the carry on first down and picks up 3. Wright keeps on a naked bootleg on second down, he gets 3 and now the Cardinals spread out to go 5-wide. A screen pass to Wade Amaral picks up the first down at the CN 21.
-SCORE UPDATE--It's 0-0 with 7:37 to go in the first quarter.
- The Seraphs ran into the line for a gain of two on first down but on second down the Cardinals invade the backfield and Badger lays a lick on Isaiah Burton. On third down, the Bonnies complete a pass but it's short of the first down. St. Bonaventure to punt. Good kick that CN lets roll to the 7. 7:37 left in the quarter.
-Cardinals went for it and threw a screen but it was deflected in the backfield by Patrick Hall. St. Bonaventure takes over.
-Joe Ferguson picked up four yards on first down for CN, but a sack of Randy Wright lost three on second down. The third down play was a screed Jeff Badger 5. They will go for it on 4th and 5
-Cardinal traveled well today. Quite a bit of the student body in the house.
-St. Bonny begins on its own 30-yard line and opens in a spread formation with four wide. And a slot receiver sweep picks up 8 yards before Devon Blackledge fumbles and Cardinal's Ryan Rodriguez recovered. Cardinal takes over at the St. Bonny 42.
-Cardinal Newman is wearing white on white, and St. Bonaventure has green tops with white hats.
- You're never going to know which one of us is blogging today! We're incognito. Seriously though, we were planning to be down here today and then when it became an off day for us, we just decided to hang anyway. So, since we have fans in the Redwood Empire, we figured we'd hook you guys up while we're here.
-Okay, so St. Bonaventure won the toss and elected to receive. National Anthem is complete and we're about three minutes away from kickoff.
-So the Geeks are officially off the clock today, which means we've decided to bring our blogging talents here.
We won't have our fancy Cover It Live interactive console today, so we'll have to go old school.
We'll post new content at the top of the post, and you'll just need hit refresh to get it. We're about 10-15 minutes away from kickoff for the Division III game between Cardinal Newman and St. Bonaventure. Captains are meeting at midfield right now.
FINAL SCORE: CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC 37, ST. MARY'S 34
- Cathedral Catholic takes over on its own 33 with 1:59 remaining in the game. SM has two timeouts left. I'm gonna go out on a limb here, but I think Gaffney's going to get the ball. Toss left and Gaffney carries to the 38. 2nd and 5. Clock running. Gaffney runs to the 42 and SM calls timeout. 3rd and 2 upcoming, and St. Mary's calls timeout. 1:15 left in the game. Jumbo formation, it's Gaffney, he appears to have the first down but there's a flag on the play. Illegal shift on CC. Back 'em up 5 to the 37 and we'll now have third and seven. Hipp rolls left and finds - who else - Gaffney. He's down on the SM 46. Clock runs and that should do it. CC will take one knee and that's all she wrote.
- Short kickoff returned to the 28. Now, it's Cody Vaz's turn. 4:42 left in the game. Vaz throws for Chaz Smith but it ricochets off his pads and falls for an incompletion. Gaffney now has 329 yards and 5 TD. 2nd and 10. Hitch to Lecich along the right sideline and he's out on the 37. 3rd and 1. Vaz sneaks for the first down. Ball on the SM 39. Vaz checks down to Lechich, who is out of bounds at the 50. First down SM. Handoff to Guyton and he's down at the line of scrimmage. 2nd and 10 from the 50. Vaz throws for Smith on a deep out and Smith can't hang on. 3rd and 10. Vaz under heavy pressure and he's hit as he throws, forcing an incompletion. Timeout Cathedral Catholic. 3:33 left in the game. CC leading 37-34. SM is going for it. Vaz with a laser and Lechich makes an amazing catch. What a play by both players. Ball down to the 39. 1st and 10 SM. Lechich has to have 15 catches now. Vaz fires right for Michaels but it's incomplete. 2nd and 10. Screen for Guyton is incomplete and a flag flies after the play. It's for an ineligible man downfield. That backs SM up to the 44. Vaz under pressure and he's sacked. Down on the CC 49. That brings up 3rd and about 20. Vaz over the middle to Lecich, who catches it in between two defenders. He's short of the first though, as he's down on the 33. 4th and about 4. Timeout SM. 2:03 left in the game.
This is so exciting, I'm using an extra return! 4th and about 4 from the CC 33. 2:03 left in the game. It's a fade down the left sideline for Lechich and he can't quite catch it. Turnover on downs.
-Kickoff returned to the 35. CC takes over with 5:43 left in the game. Gaffney goes up the middle and he's down to the 38. 2nd and 7. Hipp runs the option left and he's down to the CC 49. First down. Gaffney goes left and HE'S GONE! 51-yard touchdown run! Tyler Gaffney's gonna remember this game for a long, long time. PAT is good and with 4:45 left, the score is Cathedral Catholic 37, St. Mary's 34.
- Ferreira's kickoff is taken on the 4 by Chad West who looks down (I think he thought he was in the end zone), takes off, AND BUSTS FREE. West SCORES! That's a 96 yard return for a TD with 5:54 left in the game. Villareal kicks the PAT and with 5:54 remaining in the game, it's St. Mary's 34, Cathedral Catholic 30.
- Cathedral calls for a fair catch on its own 30. 9:38 left in the game. Gaffney heads right but can't find any real estate. He gets a yard, and it'll be 2nd and 9 at the 31. Toss sweep left by Gaffney and he's down to the 36. 3rd and 4. Hipp completes over the middle to Harrington and he escapes his man and heads downfield. SM fans are reacting to the replay, which showed Harrington's knee was down at the point of the catch. Anyway, CC takes it at the 33. Illegal substitution on CC backs them up to the 38. Hipp rolls right, fires down the right sideline, and Austin Joshua breaks it up with a one-handed swat. Nice defense there. Sweep left by Thomas and he doesn't get much. Taken down on the 34. 3rd and about 11 upcoming. Gaffney takes the pitch and stumbles in the backfield. He's down on the 33. 4th and 10. CC will go for it with 6:40 left in the game. SM fans are going nuts. Toss sweep right to Gaffney, who PULLS UP AND THROWS back to Hipp. Hipp makes the catch all alone and runs down to the 3. Add a face mask and CC has it on the 1. Gaffney takes a stroll off the right side and he's in for the score. What a game! The PAT is good. 6:10 left in the game and it's Cathedral Catholic 30, St. Mary's 27.
- SM takes over on its own 16. Vaz throws long for Smith and it's incomplete. 2nd and 10. Inside run by Guyton and he's out to the 20. 3rd and 6 upcoming. The Rams go trips right and Vaz looks left, finding Lechich out to the 39. First down SM. Howze gets the handoff and sweeps right, going down at the 43. 2nd and 6. Vaz looks downfield and checks down to Lechich over the middle. He's out to the 50 and that's a St. Mary's first down. 1st and 10 on the 50. Handoff to Howze, who heads into the middle of the line, cuts back left, and heads downfield to the 10. 1st and goal just inside the 10. Howze goes off tackle right and he's taken down at the line of scrimmage. Injury on the play. Vaz has broken Nick Goodspeed of Palo Alto's passing record here at the CIF bowl games. Gaffney currently has 26 carries for 266 yards. So, records are falling tonight.
Injured Ram isn't on the roster. Vaz sets up, throws right, and finds Alex Michaels in the end zone for a touchdown! PAT try by Villareal is good. 9:38 remaining in the game - St. Mary's 27, Cathedral Catholic 23.
- Cathedral Catholic resumes its drive at the SM 33. 2nd and about 7. CC goes to a power formation, Gaffney gets first down yardage, fumbles, and St. Mary's has it! Ball recovered by Andy Hurst. 11:47 left in the game.
END OF THIRD QUARTER: CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC 23, ST. MARY'S 20
- Villareal's kick is into the end zone for a touchback. CC takes over at the 20. What more does Gaffney have in store for everyone tonight? Gaffney drags a defender for a couple yards and is finally down on the 25. 2nd and 5. This time he goes right, spins at the boundary, and picks up an extra few yards. First down CC on the 37. Sweep right by Derek Thomas and he's got another CC first down. Ball on the St. Mary's 49. Hipp throws incomplete. Flag on the play is for ineligible man downfield on CC. Quick handoff to Gaffney and this time he only gets minimal yardage. He's down on the CC 48. 2nd and 14 upcoming. Sweep right by Gaffney and Lechich runs him out of bounds at the SM 45. 3rd down. Hipp throws over the middle to Brad (don't call me Al) Harrington. He's got a first down at the 35. Gaffney carries for a couple and that's the end of the quarter.
- St. Mary's takes over and immediately Vaz finds Lechich down to midfield. Run by Howze and he's out to the CC 47. There's and injured Ram, and it's Lechich. He's up and off the field. 2nd and 7. Vaz scrambles right and gets rid of it, throwing it out of bounds. 3rd and 7. Trips left for the Rams. Vaz finds Chaz Smith, who runs to the left sideline and gets nailed. He's got plenty for a first down though, down to the 27. That was a nice catch and a nice throw. Vaz put it in a spot where only Smith could get it. First and 10. Handoff to Guyton and he's down on the 24. 2nd and 7. Vaz to Justin Cox in the right flat and he's hit immediately. Loss of four yards. Ball on the 28. 3rd and 11. Vaz finds Lechich on a skinny post and he's down to the 8. First down and goal for St. Mary's. Vaz lofts one over two defenders in the end zone and finds Lechich for the TD. Flag on the play is against CC and is declined. Great throw by Vaz. PAT by Moses Villareal is blocked by, guess who, Mr. Gaffney. With 2:44 left in the quarter, it's Cathedral Catholic 23, St. Mary's 20.
-CC wastes no time in giving the ball to Gaffney again. He picks up 6. Gaffney carriesand picks up a first down at the 37. The run sets the single-game rushing record for a CIF state bowl game. He's currently at 197. Hipp is sacked on first down, a loss of 17 back to the CC 22. Then a delay of game moves it to the 17. But that doesn't matter as Hipp unleashes a bomb to Alex Pascale. It goes for 57 yards to the SM 26. More of Gaffney. His second down run picks up six and they'll have a 3rd-1 at the 17. Gaffney picks up the first with a 2-yard run to the 15. He was a little shaken up on the play, but goes off under his own power. With Gaffney out, the CC gives the ball to Jose Balistrieri and he gets just one yard. That was followed by an incomplete pass from Hipp. It's now 3rd-9 from the 14. Gaffney's held short of the first down and Roman Ferreira kicks a 27-yard FG. Cathedral Catholic 23, St. Mary's 14, 5:08 left in third.
-With 10:00 to go in the 3rd Q, it's Catherdal Catholic 20, St. Mary's-Stockton 14.
-We're getting ready to start the second half here. St. Mary's will begin the half with the football. Chad West returned the kickoff 29 yards to the SM 30. Ray Guyton ran the ball on first down, picking up four yards on a dive. Vaz's second-down pass attempt was knocked incomplete, but on third down he connects with Justin Cox for a first down at the CC 47 . Maurice Howze carries on first down and picks up 7. Howze again on second down gets the handoff on a counter and makes two very nice cutbacks and picks up a first down at the 15. Incomplete pass on first down, and a short three-yard pass on second. It's 3rd-7 at the 12. A crazy play ensues as Vaz's pass is batted right back into his arms, he then throws it again (which turns out to be an illegal forward pass) and it's dropped in the end zone by his receiver. The penalty moved it back to the 21 and the Rams went for it and Vaz's pass fell incomplete. CC takes over at its own 21.
- Ben's general impressions: That Cody Vaz for St. Mary's is GOOD. He's going to Oregon State next year. Also impressive is Cathedral Catholic RB Tyler Gaffney. He's listed as a fullback on Rivals and he's getting a bunch of Pac-10 looks. Gaffney has 185 yards and 3 TD already. Vaz is 16-21 for 180 yards and 2 TD.
-We've reached the half of the Division II game -- which is actually turning out to be quite a contest. It is Cathedral Catholic 20, St. Mary's-Stockton 14.
-Just checking in with a Division II score update...It's St. Mary's-Stockton 14, Cathedral Catholic 14, end 1Q (We'll check in periodically, and if it stays close, we'll give you play-by-play down the stretch).
We'll take an extended break, but we'll check in somewhere around the middle of the Division II game between Cathedral Catholic and St. Mary's-Stockton. See ya in a while.
FINAL SCORE: ST. BONAVENTURE 28, CARDINAL NEWMAN 6
- Rodarte with a short gain on first down for the Seraphs. Hall carries on second down and he's down on the 26, a first down for St. Bonaventure. 3:30 left in the game and counting. The starters exit to a big hand from the Bonnies crowd. New QB is the kicker, Derek Kirk. Diamond Schouder on the carry and he loses four. Back to the 22. This time its Marcus Langkilde and he's down on the 31. Nine-yard gain. 3rd and about six. Kirk rolls right and throws a screen to Langkilde. He's down to the 37 and with that first down, this thing is pretty much over. Schouder carries across midfield and he's down on the Cardinal 49. The Seraphs will run one more play and this thing will be over. It's Schouder out of bounds on the 37. First down. SB coach Todd Therrien just got a Gatorade shower on the far sideline. Kirk takes a knee and it's over.
-SCORE UPDATE -- W/ 4:18 left in the game it's St. Bonaventure 28, Cardinal Newman 6
-SB was actually offsides on the kickoff. We'll back it up and do it again from the 35. And now the kick goes out of bounds, so CN will take over at their own 40. A five-yard out to Amaral is complete for a pickup of, well, 5. Ferguson then runs for one yard and CN faces a 3rd-4. Wright finds Wyatt North on a short hook over the middle. It's enough for the first down. Badger takes the ball on first down and gets 10 yards for another first down at the SB 38. Wright is forced to go to his last read, a dump pass to Badger for four yards. On second down, he goes to Amaral on an out. It's Amaral's 10th catch of the game and it's enough for a first down at the SB 25. CN takes a timeout. Ferguson gets the first carry following the timeout. He loses a yard. Wright looks for Amaral on another out, but he overthrows him. Another draw attempt to Ferguson and he loses a yard. So it's 4th-13 from the 28. Wright finds a receiver, it's Miller over the middle and it's enough for the first down at the SB 11. Play has stopped for an injury timeout. Daniel Miguel of SB was shaken up on the play. Badger gets the ball on a dive and gets to the 7-yard line. Wright gets tons of time in the pocket, but nobody is open. The result is an 7-yard loss to the 14. He scrambles on third down before getting abolustely PUNISHED by Dylan Davis at the 8. Screen pass to Ferguson on fourth down is a 3-yard loss, and SB takes over at the 11.
- Seraphs resume their drive on the 50 yard line with a first down. Meyer fires over the middle for Blackledge but it's incomplete. 2nd and 10. Blackledge busts through the right side of the line and actually outruns his downfield blockers. He's taken down on the Cardinal Newman 30. First down St. Bonaventure. Meyer throws deep for Rodarte and it's broken up. 2nd and 10. Meyer throws deep down the right side and it's incomplete. 3rd and 10. Hall gets the carry and he's taken down on the 30. No gain. 4th and 10. Meyer steps up in the pocket and completes to Rodarte. He's down on the 14 and that's another Seraph first down. Slip screen left to Drew Gibson, who cuts back into the middle of the field and into the end zone. TOUCHDOWN ST. BONAVENTURE. Kirk with the PAT and with 10:15 remaining, the score is St. Bonaventure 28, Cardinal Newman 6.
- Celebrity sighting: Joe and Jennifer Montana are in the house. They're sitting with the Cardinal Newman crowd.
END OF THIRD QUARTER: ST. BONAVENTURE 21, CARDINAL NEWMAN 6.
- St. Bonaventure takes over on its own 34. Meyer throws deep and finds his man. He's down on the 50.
- Derek Kirk drives the kickoff to the 3, where Badger takes it and carries to the 22. First down Cardinal Newman. Cardinals go stack right with three receivers and Wright can't find anyone open. He pulls it down and carries to the 27. 2nd and 5. Ferguson on the carry and he's down on the 29. 3rd and 3. Trips left and Wright fires for Amaral with no success. 4th and 3 upcoming. CN going for it but there's a flag on the play. False start on the Cardinals. 4th and 8 now and the Cardinals will punt. Bad snap but Wright gets it away and gets blasted by a Seraph. We'll have a personal foul roughing the punter and that gives CN the ball on the 40.
Wright throws the out pattern left to Amaral and he's down on the CN 47. 2nd and 3. Ferguson bounces outside to the right and has a good gain. He's finally dragged down at the St. Bonaventure 41. First down Cardinal Newman. Wright throws the deep ball down the left sideline for Casey Miller but it's just a bit too far. 2nd and 10 upcoming from the 41. Busted play on a bad shotgun snap and Wright is taken down on the 44. 3rd and 13. Wright fires left for Amaral but it bounces off his hands. There are about three Cardinals down on the field. Two pop up, but one is still down.
Injured lineman was Jonathan Steele. He's up and limping off the field. 4th and 13 upcoming for Cardinal Newman. It's a fake punt and Wright throws downfield for Chris Reuter but it's incomplete. There's a flag on the play, and it's defensive holding on St. Bonaventure. That brings up 4th and 3. Ferguson on the carry and he's short of the first down.
-SB will start on its own 24. Meyer in the shotgun flanked by Hall, who gets the carry on a draw and takes it seven yards to the 31. Meyer passes to Rodarte on a WR screen. The play picks up nine yards to the 40. This time Meyer goes with a WR screen to the opposite side, finding Drew Girson who picks up 13 yards and takes it into CN territory. First down at the CN 47. Meyer throws a swing pass to Hall on the right side. He gets three yards. Blackledge carries on second down and gets one yard at best. 3rd and a long 6 coming up. Flags fly and we'll have a false start called on the Bonnies. It's now 3rd and 11 from just inside the 50. A bubble screen to Girson gets a big gain, 25 yards down to the CN 25. Blackledge gets the ball on a sweep and breaks it down the left sideline for a 25-yard TOUCHDOWN... PAT is good and with 4:18 to to in the third quarter, it's ST. BONAVENTURE 21, CARDINAL NEWMAN 6
- Badger and Ferguson back deep to return. It's Ferguson from the 3 to the 32. That's where the Cardinals begin the drive. Badger on the carry and he struggles to get back to the line of scrimmage. No gain on the play brings up second down. The Seraphs bring a blitz and the Cardinals pick it up, allowing Wright to find Amaral on the right side to the 35. 3rd and 7. Wright finds Amaral again and this time the Cardinals have the first down. Ball spotted on the CN 47. Badger gets the first down carry and he's down on the St. Bonaventure 48. Call it second and 5. Wright to Amaral and he's out to the 39. The Cardinals are picking up steam. Badger dropped for a loss on the 41. Hall on the tackle. Brings up 2nd and 12. Screen for Ferguson but P.J. Gremaud is all over that. Ball on the 40. 3rd and 11. Wright throws for Amaral in double coverage and J.B. Dock breaks it up. Wright will punt. End over end kick taken by Rodarte to the 24. 7:52 left in the third. Still 14-6 Bonnies.
- Cardinal Newman will get the ball to begin the second half.
-We still have at least 10 more minutes before we kickoff for the second half. Here's a few halftime numbers while we wait...Badger has 11 carries for 61 yards, Amaral has 4 catches for 23 yards, Wright is 8-15 for 57 yards. Cardinal Newman has 154 yards of total offense, and St. Bonaventure has 146. Hall is the Seraphs leading rusher with 4 carries for 60 yards.
HALFTIME: ST. BONAVENTURE 14, CARDINAL NEWMAN 6.
- CN gets the ball on the SB 44 with 43.6 seconds left in the half. Wright finds Amaral out of the right slot and Paul Cronin takes timeout. The ball is down on the 36. 2nd and 2 upcoming with 35.7 seconds left in the half. This time Amaral lines up in the left slot and Wright finds him again, down to the 30. First down CN with the clock running. Draw to Ferguson and he's all the way down to the 19. Clock still running. Wright throws for a diving Amaral but he just quite can't come up with it (according to the officials. the replay we're seeing looks an awful lot like a catch). Brings up 2nd down on the 19 with 6 seconds left in the half. Wright will line up for a 36-yard FG from the left hashmark and he's got it. That's the final play of the half.
- What a fluke play. Meyer was trying to get rid of the ball and it hit his guy in the heel and popped up.
- Seraphs take the ball on their own 45 with 1:42 remaining in the half. Meyer throws deep by North breaks it up. There's a flag on the play, because it looks like the motion man was moving forward when the ball was snapped. That backs SB up to the 40. 1st and 15. Meyer throws to the left side for Rodarte but North is there again to break it up. 2nd and 15. Blackledge runs up the middle and he's down to the 45. 3rd and 10 upcoming. Meyer rolls right, hits his receiver in the heel (WHOA) and it pops up to a Cardinal defender. It's Teyo Green with the ball!
- CN takes over and Ferguson dances to the 37 for a first down. Badger gets it on first down and he's down on the 38. 2nd and 9 upcoming. Wright throws an out to the right side and finds Casey Miller. He's down on the 45. Brings up 3rd and 2. Badger up the middle and he goes untouched until he's finally taken down on the St. Bonaventure 39. Great blocking up front there and Badger hit the hole with authority.
3:09 left in the half. CN has first down on the SB 39. Ferguson runs into the middle of the line and Ryan Frazier is there to greet him rudely. Give Ferguson a gain of 1 to the 38. 2nd and 9. Badger tries to hurdle his way through the middle of the line and he's down to the 35. 3rd and 6. Timeout Cardinal Newman with 1:51 left in the half.
Cardinal Newman has 3rd and 6 upcoming from the Seraphs 35. Wright's attempt for a screen to Ferguson is incomplete. SB brought the pressure that time. 4th and 6 upcoming, and CN will go for it. Wright to pass and he's LEVELED by Cody Kurz. SB takes over on the 45 with 1:42 left in the half.
-Cardinal's kickoff sails out of bounds and St. Bonny takes over at its own 35. Blackledge gets the handoff on first down and gets a minimal gain. Play action pass on second down finds the tight end Zack Meyer. It goes for 19 and a first down at the CN 45. Hall gets the next carry and takes it two yards to the 43. Langkilde gets the ball on second down and loses three yards as Jonathan Steele meets up in the backfield. On third and long, Meyer completes a 19-yard pass to Nolan Rodarte despite being under heavy pressure. Hall then takes the ball on first down and coughs it up. Badger recovered the loose ball and CN takes over at their own 27.
- The Cardinals resume their drive on the 25 facing 2nd and 4. Wright hands to Badger, who bounces outside to the left and picks up a first down. He's down on the 34. Wright goes option right but tries to cut back inside and has nothing to show for it. He got a yard. 2nd and 9 from the 35. Wright throws a quick out to Amaral on the right side and he's just shy of the 44. Officials call timeout for a measurement. Measurement shows a first down for CN. So, the Cardinals continue first and 10 from their own 44. Inside handoff to Badger, who hurdles a defender and reaches the second level. He's down on the SB 45, first and 10 CN.
This time it's Ferguson, and he gets a good chunk of yardage. He's down on the 38. Wright throws outside for Casey Miller but he can't quite haul it in. 3rd and 2. Badger gets it and he's got a first down on the 32. Ferguson on the carry down to the 28. 2nd and 6. Wright throws another out, this time to Amaral. He's out on the 25, bringing up 3rd and 3. Badger the carry and it looks like he got just enough for a first down. Call him down on the 21. 1st down Cardinal Newman.
Wright looks right, comes back left and finds Wyatt North in the middle of the field. He's down on the 8. 1st and goal CN. Badger runs right to the 4. Wright throws into double coverage for Amaral and it's broken up. 3rd and goal upcoming. Wright throws a laser for Miller in the right corner but it's too high and a bit early. CN will bring on the field goal unit, which means Wright will switch hats and attempt a 22-yard field goal. It's up and it's good. 7:19 remaining in the first half, St. Bonaventure 14, Cardinal Newman 3.
END OF FIRST QUARTER: ST. BONAVENTURE 14, CARDINAL NEWMAN 0.
- Cardinal takes over at the 19 and Wright gets six yards on a keeper. That ends the first quarter.
-Momentum definitely on the side of Seraphs at the moment. Cardinal Newman will need to find its passing game, because it doesn't look like the three- and four-yard dives are gonna get it done.
-Blackledge takes it on a counter on first down. He picks up 10 and it will be first and goal at the 10-yard line. Blackledge on a dive and he knifes through the CN defensive front for 8 yards. The next play is a fullback dive and Marcus Langkilde takes it into the end zone TOUCHDOWN. PAT is good and WITH 20.8 SECONDS TO GO IN THE FIRST QUARTER, IT'S ST. BONNY 14-0.
- Kirk kicks off for St. Bonaventure and Ferguson's momentum carries him into the end zone for a touchback. First and 10 from the 20 for the Cardinals. Wright in the gun to start the drive and flags fly for a false start. Back 'em up to the 15, 1st and 15. Wright looks right, resets and looks left, and finally getes wrapped up in the backfield by James Emma. That was a coverage sack. Ball back to the 10, 2nd and 20. Ferguson gets the inside handoff and he gets a couple yards back. He's down on the 15. 3rd and 15 upcoming. Wright throws for Amaral but there were two defenders there and he had a very small window to work with. It's incomplete, and Wright will punt. Wright's kick is a pop-up, and the Bonnies will get the ball on the CN 25.
- St. Bonaventure gets the ball on its own 36 with 3:56 left in the quarter. And, it's commercial time. Logan Meyer hands off to Devon Blackledge and he's down to the 44. Call it an eight yard gain and it brings up 2nd and 2. Patrick Hall gets the ball and he's got a first down on the Bonnies' 47. Hall again and he breaks up the middle and he outruns everyone to the end zone. That wasn't necessarily great blocking by SB, but Hall made it look easy once he got to the second level. He was just faster and shiftier than anyone CN had. Left-footed kicker Derek Kirk on for the PAT and with 2:56 remaining in the first quarter, the score is St. Bonaventure 7, Cardinal Newman 0.
-Badger gets the ball on first down and gets four. It seems they are using him more early in the game, as opposed to last week against Clayton Valley. Badger gets 3 more on second down. It's 3rd and 4. Wright drops back but ends up with loss of two on what was definitely a coverage sack. He had nowhere to go. CN punts and it's a good kick from Wright. Ball down at the SB 36.
-Cardinal will start on it's 9-yard line. Badger gets the carry on first down and picks up 3. Wright keeps on a naked bootleg on second down, he gets 3 and now the Cardinals spread out to go 5-wide. A screen pass to Wade Amaral picks up the first down at the CN 21.
-SCORE UPDATE--It's 0-0 with 7:37 to go in the first quarter.
- The Seraphs ran into the line for a gain of two on first down but on second down the Cardinals invade the backfield and Badger lays a lick on Isaiah Burton. On third down, the Bonnies complete a pass but it's short of the first down. St. Bonaventure to punt. Good kick that CN lets roll to the 7. 7:37 left in the quarter.
-Cardinals went for it and threw a screen but it was deflected in the backfield by Patrick Hall. St. Bonaventure takes over.
-Joe Ferguson picked up four yards on first down for CN, but a sack of Randy Wright lost three on second down. The third down play was a screed Jeff Badger 5. They will go for it on 4th and 5
-Cardinal traveled well today. Quite a bit of the student body in the house.
-St. Bonny begins on its own 30-yard line and opens in a spread formation with four wide. And a slot receiver sweep picks up 8 yards before Devon Blackledge fumbles and Cardinal's Ryan Rodriguez recovered. Cardinal takes over at the St. Bonny 42.
-Cardinal Newman is wearing white on white, and St. Bonaventure has green tops with white hats.
- You're never going to know which one of us is blogging today! We're incognito. Seriously though, we were planning to be down here today and then when it became an off day for us, we just decided to hang anyway. So, since we have fans in the Redwood Empire, we figured we'd hook you guys up while we're here.
-Okay, so St. Bonaventure won the toss and elected to receive. National Anthem is complete and we're about three minutes away from kickoff.
-So the Geeks are officially off the clock today, which means we've decided to bring our blogging talents here.
We won't have our fancy Cover It Live interactive console today, so we'll have to go old school.
We'll post new content at the top of the post, and you'll just need hit refresh to get it. We're about 10-15 minutes away from kickoff for the Division III game between Cardinal Newman and St. Bonaventure. Captains are meeting at midfield right now.
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