Spartans return to state final
SHS downs SPSV to return to state final
They say revenge is a dish best served cold and that’s exactly how the Strathmore Spartans served up a 49-35 victory to the defending CIF Division 6-A state champions Friday night.
With the weather barely cracking 40 degrees, the undefeated Spartans (15-0) beat the Bruins (11-2) to win the 6-AA Northern California Regional Championship and avenged a 29-28 loss to St. Pat’s in last season’s state final game.
The back-to-back Valley champion Spartans advance to the 6-AA state title game and face the Socal Regional champion Panthers of Orange (13-2) on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 6 p.m. Orange defeated Caruthers 46-43 in overtime.
“It just feels so amazing to beat a team that beat us just by one point and just to execute what we did, and what we accomplished,” senior tight end Andres Lara said.
Lara had the go-ahead touchdown for the Spartans midway through the fourth quarter after senior strong safety and star running back, Joseph Garcia recovered a fumble on a bad snap to Bruins’ quarterback Akil Edwards.
On third-and-14 from the St. Pat’s 24-yard line, senior quarterback Nick Salas scrambled to his right and hit Lara along the right side who made his way into the end zone for a 4235 Strathmore lead.
“I knew I couldn’t get sacked because if I did it was going to be a game-changer for them, that could’ve possibly given them the game,” Salas said about the play. “I seen that guy come up in my face and I knew I had to make something, so I just turned around and I seen Andres coming across the middle in a spot where only he could get it and you know he’s just a big-time player, and he made a good play on it.”
Still excited about the play and the game, Lara said all he could think about was not letting his team down.
“I went through my mind, ‘I have to catch this. I can’t let my team down. This [touchdown] is for to go to state and I don’t want to let my team down’,” he said. “I did it all for them. I did it all with my heart.”
Salas was 5-for-10 for 69 yards, one interception and two touchdowns. Kicker Osvaldo Ibarra did not miss a point after. Alonso Acevedo rushed for 100 yards on 14 carries.
An incomplete pass by St. Pat’s on fourth-and-10 with four minutes left in the game put Strathmore in Bruins’ territory and led to a 1-yard touchdown by Garcia that sealed the win for the Spartans. Garcia finished with five touchdowns from 3-, 8-, 20- and 11-yards out, and 272 yards on 44 carries.
“It feels awesome,” Garcia said about beating St. Pat’s. “We’ve been planning this game since last year when they beat us. We said that we wanted to come back out and play them again. And we got it, but this time we came out a lot stronger. We came out, we wanted to win. We just came out stronger and faster.”
The score was tied at halftime after both teams scored in the final two minutes of the half. Salas hit senior wide receiver Amando Rodriguez for a 12-yard touchdown with 2:09 to go and that score was answered with a 4-yard touchdown run from Bruins’ running back Marshel Martin.
“I think we came out in the first half and we made a few mistakes, we kind of shot ourselves in the foot,” SHS head coach Jeromy Blackwell said. “...We had five administrative penalties, put the ball on the ground twice, threw one pick. That very easily could’ve been the same score as last year. I think it’s to our advantage that it was a zero-sum game at halftime because these guys had to come out and execute and man they did.”
After giving up two big touchdown runs to Edwards from 84- and 73-yards out in the third quarter, Strathmore answered just one of those scores with a 8-yard run from Garcia to trail 2821 heading into the final quarter. Garcia scored again early in the fourth from 20-yards out and the Bruins’ final score came two plays later on a 71-yard run by St. Pat’s slotback Kailon Johnsonloud.
“We knew we had to get a stop,” SHS junior defensive end Jadon Guire said about the team’s defense in the final quarter. “That’s what it’s been all game, just ‘1-0’ mentality. That’s what’s really been carrying us, we knew we had to get a stop and when we executed and got that stop it was a great feeling.”
That 1-0 mentality of one play, one assignment, one situation at a time carried the Spartans to the state title game last year as well.
“I’m really proud of our kids,” Blackwell said. “They’ve bought into what we’re selling, the 1-0 philosophy’s carried them this far...what else can you ask for? These are great kids, they’re doing an awesome job.”